COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



BY 



REV. AUGUSTUS C. GEORGE, 

OF THE EAST GENESEE CONFERENCE. 



o 



CINCINNATI: 
PUBLISHED BY POE & HITCHCOCK. 

R. P. THOMPSON, PRINTER. 

1864. 



Tafi Library 
Congress 

washington 



40 

OA 



2j0 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, 
BY POE & HITCHCOCK, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern 
District of Ohio. 



3 fiJ( 



PEE FAC E. 



Many excellent books have been written for 
the young, and for young Christians; but the 
more we have of such publications the greater 
the amount of good which is likely to be ac- 
complished. And, whatever may be the com- 
parative literary merits of this little volume, 
it is confidently believed that its teachings are 
of a Scriptural character, and that "converts" 
will be instructed and profited by its perusal. 
It is possible, moreover, that believers of age 
and experience may find in these pages what 
will be to them a source of edification and 
comfort. 

These " Counsels" are not, in any sense, 

denominational; and all Christians and Chris - 

3 



4 PKEFACE. 

tian ministers may appropriately aid in their 
circulation. 

They have been written with an earnest 
desire to establish young Christians in the 
faith of the Gospel; and if, in any case, they 
are productive of this result, the author will 
be abundantly rewarded for his labors. 

a. o. a. 

Elmiea, R Y., October, 1864. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



PAGE. 



The Change Wrought in Conveesion 7 

CHAPTER II. 
The Study op the Scriptures 13 

CHAPTER III. 
How to Study the Scriptures 2 ^ 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Duty op Prayer 34 

CHAPTER V. 
Conditions op Prevailing Prayer 42 

CHAPTER VI. 
Helps to Prayer • 55 

CHAPTER VII. 
Christian Steadfastness 67 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Growth in Grace— Its Importance 75 

CHAPTER IX. 

Growth in Grace— Its Conditions 84 

5 



6 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGE. 

Growth in Grace— Its Evidences 96 

CHAPTER XI. 
Recreations 110 

CHAPTER XIL 
Opposition prom the World 126 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Temptation 144 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Business Pursuits • 164 

CHAPTER XY. 
Social Relations I 88 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Systematic Beneficence 209 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Reform Movements 239 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Revival Efforts 268 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Church Membership 302 

CHAPTER XX. 
Final Success * 330 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE CHANGE WROUGHT IN CONVERSION. 

Only a brief period has elapsed since you, 
my dear young converts, were engaged in sin- 
ful courses, and were repeatedly doing those 
things which you knew to be offensive to God. 
You were guilty, polluted,, condemned sinners. 
In vain did you seek for happiness in the pur- 
suit of earthly good. Peace fled at your ap- 
proach; the world afforded you no permanent 
satisfaction. But a great change has within a 
short time been wrought in you. You have 
received the pardon of your sins; you have 
been regenerated, or born into the kingdom 
of God; you have been adopted into the 
household of faith, and your hearts have been 
filled with filial confidence and love ; the dense 
darkness which shaded your pathway has been 



8 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



dispersed by the cheering light of Gospel grace; 
the sorrow and anguish which preyed upon your 
soul as you thought of your sinfulness have 
been displaced by emotions of joy and raptures 
of love; the whole current of your being, in a 
word, has been changed, so that you are no 
longer fettered to earth, and no longer the 
slave of sin, but, like a young eagle in its 
sunward flight, you soar toward heaven, and 
leave the clouds and tempests of the world far 
beneath you. This is sound Scriptural expe- 
rience. "And you hath he quickened who 
were dead in trespasses and sin; wherein, in 
time past, ye walked according to the course 
of this world, according to the prince of the 
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh 
in the children of disobedience; among whom 
also we all had our conversation in times past, 
in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires 
of the flesh and of the mind; and were by 
nature the children of wrath, even as others. 
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great 
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were 
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with 
Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath 
raised us up together, and made us sit together 



THE CHANGE WROUGHT IN CONVERSION. 9 



in heavenly places in Christ Jesus : that in the 
ages to come he might show the exceeding 
riches of his grace, in his kindness to us, 
through Christ Jesus." 

In this passage your former and your present 
condition are forcibly contrasted. You were, 
before your conversion, "dead in trespasses 
and sins," utterly destitute of spiritual life, 
reduced to extreme wretchedness, and moment- 
arily exposed to the tremendous penalties of 
God's broken law; you "walked according to 
the course of this world," went with the multi- 
tude to do evil, followed in the footsteps of 
transgressors, and governed your life by the 
unholy maxims of wicked and polluted men; 
you were subject to "the prince of the power 
of the air," and that fallen, diabolic spirit 
wrought in you all disobedience, so that you 
followed the promptings of fleshly lusts, "ful- 
filling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; 
and were by nature" — as the result of your 
depravity and habitual indulgence of vicious 
inclinations — "the children of wrath" — pecul- 
iarly liable to ivrath, or every moment in clanger 
of punishment and everlasting destruction, on 
account of your sinfulness. But how great and 



10 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



beneficent the change which has been* effected 
in you by the power of God ! You who were 
dead hath he quickened and renewed by a 
mighty infusion of spiritual life ; he hath raised 
you up from a grave of sin and pollution; 
saved and ennobled your soul; and, instead 
of leaving you in misery, or consigning you 
to merited punishment, he hath caused you 
to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ 
Jesus." He hath done this not because of 
any worthiness in you, but through the free 
promptings of his own goodness— because "he 
is rich in mercy," and because of "his great 
love wherewith he loved you." "To love with 
love," says Macknight, "is the Hebrew super- 
lative; wherefore, to love with love is to love 
without bounds." And this boundless love he 
hath bestowed upon you; for he "hath deliv- 
ered you from the power of darkness, and hath 
translated you into the kingdom of his dear 
Son;" saved you from that ignorance, and vice, 
and spiritual domination which held you a re- 
luctant captive to "the rulers of the darkness 
of this world," and brought you into that glo- 
rious kingdom whose willing subjects are the 
object of his peculiar regard. Are you not 



THE CHANGE WROUGHT IN CONVERSION. 11 ■ 

amazed that this rich mercy should have been 
bestowed upon you? But we may say to you, 
as the apostle said to the Gentile converts in 
Colosse, "And you, that were sometime alien- 
ated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, , 
yet now hath he reconciled," that he may " pre- 
sent you holy, and unblamable, and unreprov- 
able in his sight." It is true that « neither 
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor 
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with man- 
kind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, 
nor reviiers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the 
kingdom of God. And such were some of you; 
but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but 
ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
and by the Spirit of our God." 

You have reason to praise God that this great 
work of transformation into the Divine image 
has been wrought in you; but you would fall 
into a fatal error should you imagine that your 
salvation is already secured, and that hence- 
forth you have little to do but to wait in bliss- 
ful expectation of your heavenly reward. You 
have, indeed, commenced running in the Chris- 
tian course; but it is yet to be seen whether 
you will persevere to the end, and obtain a 



12 



COUNSELS TO CONVE11TS. 



crown of life. It is matter of rejoicing that 
you have "cast off the works of darkness/' 
and "put on the armor of light;" but you have 
yet to prove your willingness to " endure hard- 
ness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." You 
are still in the enemy's country; both the smiles 
and the frowns of the world will assail you, and 
you will have equally to resist its blandish- 
ments and its terrors. The powers of hell will 
conspire for your destruction; and nothing but 
that wisdom, and strength, and heroism which 
the Holy Spirit imparts to the soul will enable 
you to maintain your position in the highway 
of holiness. You have not yet learned the 
peculiar character of the difficulties you will 
have to meet, the obstacles you will have to 
surmount, the barriers you will have to storm. 
You are still, to a great extent, ignorant of the 
devices of that relentless foe whom you will 
have to encounter; and it is because of your 
inexperience, and because of the embarrass- 
ments which surround you, that we proffer you 
counsel and encouragement. May it prove "a 
word spoken in due season," and be the means 
of saving you from all that would disturb your 
peace, and darken your hope of heaven ! 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 



v 



CHAPTER II. 

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 

In this chapter I desire to call your atten- 
tion to the importance of a faithful study of 

God's Word. 

If we are truly favored with a revelation 
from God — with a disclosure, divinely made, 
of our duties, relations, and privileges— then it 
follows that the Book thus inspired by heaven 
preeminently deserves and authoritatively de- 
mands our most serious attention. Its truths 
are worthy of patient consideration; its revealed 
facts are of awful importance; its promises, the 
gracious utterances of an Infinite God, are full 
of consolation; its requirements impose the 
most weighty obligations; and its threatenings 
may well arouse and alarm us. 

That such a revelation should be faithfully 
studied is almost a self-evident proposition. 
But there are some considerations, to which 
ve may briefly refer, that place our duty in 
the clearest possible light. 



14 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



The Bible teaches the whole will of God con- 
cerning us. 

No Protestant will dispute this position, 
The Bible is the rule, and the sufficient rule, 
both of our faith and practice. It needs not 
the dim light of tradition to make the Scrip- 
tures comprehensible. As well does the sun in 
mid-heavens need the torch-light glimmerings 
of earth to disclose his glories. It needs not 
the authorized teachings of the Church, the 
complacent utterances of an arrogant priest- 
hood, to save the honest inquirer from heretical 
and destructive blunderings in consulting the 
Divine oracles. Human learning, an acquaint- 
ance with the countries and customs referred 
to in the Scriptures, and the observations of 
gifted and pious minds, are important helps to 
the right understanding of the Word of God; 
but they have not the authority of the text, 
nor are they absolutely essential to enable even 
the "wayfaring man" to find the pathway of 
life. In the Bible every duty is made plain, 
every relation disclosed, every obligation re- 
vealed, every privilege declared, every just ex- 
pectation warranted. The whole plan of salva- 
tion is minutely delineated. The natural con- 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 



15 



dition of man, the gracious position possible 
for him to attain under the Gospel dispensation, 
the gift of life in Jesus Christ, the drawings 
and illuminations of the Holy Spirit, the retri- 
butions of an eternal world, all are portrayed 
with graphic power on the canvas of inspiration. 
The Bible is exactly adapted to our condition, 
and in the science of salvation it is our only 
text-book. " All Scripture is given by inspira- 
tion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction in right- 
eousness, that the man of God may be perfect — 
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." We 
may be deprived of the advice of friends, but 
in the Bible we have the counsel of God — 
counsel unerringly wise and unmistakably be- 
neficent. Its teachings are always suited to 
our peculiar circumstances, and invariably cal- 
culated to prepare us for extensive usefulness 
in the world. The Bible, in a word, is the voice 
of God to the soul. 

How obvious that the teachings of such a 
book should be matter of anxious inquiry ; that 
its sentiments should be treasured up in the 
heart, and its precepts made to govern the 
whole conduct of life! 



16 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



The Word of God is the instrument of our 
salvation, 

It is not the office and work of the Holy 
Spirit in bringing men to repentance to reveal 
new truths, but to present to the mind and 
urge upon the conscience the teachings of the 
inspired oracles. "He shall testify/' said Christ, 
"of me; shall receive of mine, and shall show 
it unto you ; shall bring all things to your re- 
membrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." 
Now, it is by this testimony concerning the 
Savior, this revelation of the things of Christ, 
this sudden resurrection in the soul of the words 
of the Son of God, mysteriously affected by the 
Holy Spirit, that the darkened understanding 
is enlightened, the stony heart melted like wax 
before the fire, and the rebellious transgressor 
subdued and saved from the tremendous perils 
of sin. Hence that memorable petition of our 
Lord in behalf of his disciples, " Sanctify them 
through thy truth; thy Word is truth:' He 
looked to the revealed truth of God as the only 
instrument by which they could be sanctified 
and saved. "The sword of the Spirit"— that 
keen, celestial-tempered blade, which pierces 
the heart of the sinner, and cuts in pieces 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 17 



the obdurate soul— is "the Word of God." It 
is the truth declared in the Holy Scriptures 
which convinces us of sin, which encourages 
us to look to Christ for pardon and acceptance, 
and which guides, supports, and preserves us 
to the end. The apostle Peter recognizes this 
principle when he addresses those who had 
been "begotten again unto a lively hope" in 
the following strain : " Seeing ye have purified 
your souls, in obeying the truth, through the 
Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see 
that ye love one another with a pure heart 
fervently: being born again, not of corruptible 
seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, 
which liveth and abidetli forever." How im- 
portant, then, that the young convert should 
be a student of the inspired oracles! "By the 
Word of God" he has been "born again;" and 
"in obeying the truth" — which truth he of 
course must know and comprehend in order to 
obedience — he will be still further instructed 
and purified; and not being "carried about 
with every wind of doctrine," but having the 
Word of God, the divinely-appointed instru- 
ment of his salvation, abiding in him, he will 

" overcome the wicked one," and will " grow 

2 



18 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



up into him in all things, which is the head, 
even Christ." 

We can not be too familiar with the exceeding 
great and precious promises which are found in 
the Holy Scriptures. 

W e shall, during the whole period of our pro- 
bation, be assailed by temptations; we shall be 
tried by adversities ; we shall be weighed down 
by the pressure of duty and responsibility ; and 
we shall be confronted, again and again, by our 
spiritual foes ; and these difficulties will perplex, 
these obstacles discourage, and these tireless and 
malignant enemies dishearten and overwhelm us, 
unless we £re daily refreshed from the fountains 
of salvation. But in God's precious Word are 
the most soul-cheering promises: "For whatso- 
ever things were written aforetime were written 
for our learning, that we through patience and 
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." 
How often are weak souls allured by the world 
and overthrown by the " wicked one," to whom 
it may be truly said, " Ye do err, not knowing 
the Scriptures, nor the power of God!" How 
frequently are young disciples betrayed sud- 
denly into the hands of the enemy, and sur- 
prised into the commission of that which is 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 19 



manifestly wrong, because they are not able to 
say with the Psalmist, "Thy Word have I hid 
in my heart, that I might not sin against thee !" 
All such are destroyed for lack of knowledge, 
and for want of that very knowledge which the 
Scriptures every-where impart. How different 
is the experience of that man who is thoroughly 
instructed in the Word of Truth! Is he in 
poverty and distress, and deserted or maligned 
by a heartless world, he remembers that gra- 
cious promise, "I will never leave thee nor 
forsake thee," and boldly exclaims, "The Lord 
is my helper, and I will not fear what man 
shall do unto me." Is he severely tempted by 
the adversary of his soul, he does not sink in 
hopeless despondence, but encourages his heart 
with that solemn declaration, " God is faithful, 
who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
that ye are able; but will with the temptation 
also make a way to escape." Is he in doubt or 
difficulty about any matter of duty or business, 
he is reminded that " the steps of a good man 
are ordered by the Lord," and patiently waits 
for Divine direction. And, in a word, whatever 
may be his circumstances, however dark and 
mysterious may be the ways of Providence— 



20 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



though his path may be through the deep 
waters, and trials and bereavements afflict him 
at every step — he is still assured "that all 
things work together for good to them that 
love God." 

Let the young disciple make himself thor- 
oughly familiar with the precious promises of 
God's Word; for he will find them happily 
adapted to every exigence in his experience, 
and every way calculated to encourage and 
refresh his soul. 

Your peculiar circumstances, as young con- 
verts, render it especially desirable that you 
should diligently study the Holy Scriptures. 

In your unregenerate state your minds were 
occupied with secular thoughts and desires ; you 
were anxious to obtain earth-born pleasures and 
honors; and your purposes and projects aimed 
at the realization of those fanciful picturings of 
worldly prosperity with which you were wont 
to beguile your anxious hours. But now it is 
essential to your spiritual interests to give your 
musings and purposes a more elevated and 
sanctified direction; and in no way can you 
more successfully accomplish this desirable end 
than by filling your mind with the pleasant 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 



21 



thoughts and striking imagery, the thrilling 
appeals and beautiful narrations of the Holy 
Scriptures. Let your soul be absorbed in medi- 
tating upon the glorious truths of the Word of 
God, and you will have no leisure for errant 
imaginings, worldly schemings, or ambitious 
lustings for honor and distinction; and, in the 
mean time, you will find that the elevated 
standard of virtue and holiness placed before 
you in the Gospel will kindle in your bosom 
yearning desires for higher attainments in the 
divine life. Converse with God, through the 
medium of his Word, will ennoble your whole 
nature; and a contemplation of the lofty and 
glowing characteristics of a Savior's love, as 
portrayed by the inspired limner, will melt 
your heart into tenderness and contrition. 

Moreover, you are particularly directed, "as 
new-born babes," to " desire the sincere milk of 
the Word, that ye may grow thereby'' Upon 
this heavenly aliment your soul may feed, and 
secure the healthy development of all its func- 
tions. From the Word of God you will obtain 
that strength and wisdom which will settle and 
mature your experience, and enable you to 
triumph over all your foes. The sooner you 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 

learn to wield "the sword of the Spirit 55 the 
better for your peace and religious prosperity; 
and when you are able to meet all the malig- 
nant thrusts and fiery darts of your adversary 
with the impenetrable shield of a "thus saith 
the Lord," you will have already become in- 
vincible— impregnably fortified in your position; 
and all the wiles and subtilties of the old ser- 
pent will not beguile you from that position if 
you are only careful, following the example of 
your Savior, to meet his artful and treacherous 
advances with a simple "It is written," or an 
imperative " Get thee behind me, Satan." 

We counsel you, therefore, in conclusion, to 
"receive with meekness the ingrafted Word, 
which is able to save your souls ;" for, as 
Chrysostom hath said, "an intimate acquaint- 
ance with the Holy Scriptures is a secure haven, 
and an impregnable bulwark, and an immovable 
tower, and imperishable glory, and impenetrable 
armor, and unfading joy, and perpetual delight, 
and whatever other excellence can be uttered." 

"How precious v is the Book Divine, 
By inspiration given ! 
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, 
To guide our souls to heaven. ■ 



THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 



It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts 

In this dark vale of tears ; 
And life, and light, and joy imparts, 

And banishes our fears. 

This lamp, through all the tedious night 
Of life, shall guide our way, 

Till we behold the clearer light 
Of an eternal day." 



24 



) 

COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER III. 

HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 

Something may perhaps be profitably said 
in respect to the manner in which the study 
of the Scriptures should be prosecuted. 

Many read the Word of God who seem to 
derive therefrom neither comfort nor instruc- 
tion. They do not become wise in the Scrip- 
tures, and " thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works." There must be something defective 
or erroneous in the course which they pursue. 
We will not pause to point out the many errors 
into which young disciples have fallen in con- 
sulting the divine oracles; but will furnish you 
with a few brief directions, which, in our judg- 
ment, should be substantially followed in order 
to a successful examination of the Word of 
God. 

Strive to understand thoroughly every passage 
which you read. 

To skim over the surface of the Scriptures 
is of little or no advantage. They require 



HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 



25 



thought and study to be comprehended. Some 
passages are, indeed, too plain to be mistaken; 
but others demand patient reflection in order 
to be understood. There are truths in the 
Bible which, like veins of precious metal con- 
cealed beneath the surface of the earth, seem 
to underlie the words; and the rich, hidden 
meaning of such passages is discovered only 
by those who are content to dig in this mine 
of celestial gold. "I speak it from experience," 
says the celebrated Erasmus, "that there is little 
benefit to be derived from the Scriptures if they 
be read cursorily or carelessly; but if a man 
exercise himself therein constantly and con- 
scientiously, he shall find such an efficacy in 
them as is not to be found in any other book 
whatsoever." Beware, then, of the habit of 
reading the Word of God in a careless, cursory 
manner. Be intent upon the sense — endeavor 
to find out precisely the mind of the Spirit in 
the passage under consideration. The Scrip- 
tures are given for your "instruction in right- 
eousness;" they are meant, therefore, to be 
understood. You may pass idly and incon- 
siderately over many chapters and remain un- 
profited; but you can not study, in the right 



26 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



manner and with a proper purpose, a single 
paragraph without having your mind enlight- 
ened, and your heart warmed and comforted. 

31alce the Bible its own expositor, collate parallel 
passages, and bring together in one view what was 
spoken on the same subject at different times and 
on different occasions. 

We do not mean to dissuade you from the 
use of commentaries and expositions of the 
Scriptures made by eminent and devoted men. 
These are valuable in their place, though it 
needs some care to prevent the words of Grod 
from being buried up beneath the multitude of 
human observations; and, besides, these com- 
ments, however learned and wise, are only the 
opinions of erring men ; but parallel passages 
contain God's own exposition, and are conse- 
quently conclusive and authoritative in every 
instance. No fundamental doctrine of the Scrip- 
tures rests wholly for its support upon a single 
passage; the work of collation, therefore, is 
absolutely essential to the right understanding 
of the Word of God. We must gather the 
scattered rays of light into one focal blaze, 
and then the truth, long deemed obscure and 
hidden, will be plainly revealed. This course 



HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 



27 



■will yield us abundant consolation. The golden 
sands scattered over the field of revelation will, 
if gathered together, form precious ingots of 
Gospel truth. The glad springs of heavenly 
comfort which are unsealed in our souls by the 
magic words of inspiration, will, if they mingle 
their sparkling rills, become in confluence a 
mighty river, digging wider and deeper its 
channel every hour, and sweeping onward, in 
its tireless course, with increasing velocity and 
illimitable grandeur. 

Pray for the light of God's Spirit to shine 
upon the sacred page, and enable you to under- 
stand what you read. 

We learn that our blessed Lord, during one 
of his last conversations with his disciples, 
"opened their understanding, that they might 
understand the Scriptures" "And they said 
one to another, Did not our heart burn within 
us while he talked with us by the way, and 
while he opened to us the Scriptures ?" And 
may we not expect that the Holy Spirit, who 
more than compensates us for the personal 
absence of our Lord — see John xvi, 7 — who 
" searcheth all things, yea, the deep things 
of God," and whose office it is to "bring all 



23 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



things to our remembrance," and to "guide 
us into all truth," will, if we humbly and 
believingly seek his influence, illuminate our 
darkened understandings, and enable us rightly 
and fully to comprehend the teachings of God's 
inspired Word? The Psalmist prayed, " Open 
thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
things out of thy law;" and that God heard 
and answered his prayer is evident from that 
rapturous exclamation, "How sweet are thy 
words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than honey 
to my mouth! More to be desired are they 
than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter 
also than honey and the honeycomb." And 
that this is, or may be, the common experience 
of Christians is apparent from a variety of facts 
and considerations. 

You w'ho have been so lately converted begin 
already to realize that the Bible has undergone 
a marvelous change. That book, which was once 
so dry and unattractive, now ministers delight 
and consolation to your heart; and this is not 
merely because your regenerate soul relishes 
the Jruth of God — -that truth which the carnal 
mind rejected — but because you now see new 
beauties and adaptations in the Scriptures. It 



HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 



29 



never was to you, in your unrenewed state, 
such a book as it now is — as it lias been 
ever since your conversion. It is all instinct 
with divinity; it is illumined with celestial sun- 
beams; God's Spirit has goldened every page. 
It was once a dreary, desolate wilderness to 
your soul, but now springs of water break out 
in the desert, the barren waste is covered with 
fruits and flowers, and the clouded heavens 
glow with the brightness of the Orient. 

Moreover, every matured Christian will testify 
that the Bible is a peculiar look; it never wears 
out, and it never grows old. Its pages ever 
glitter with freshness and interest. Its light, 
like that of the sun, always shines, but is 
never exhausted. He who has read it most — 
who has spent the greatest number of years in 
its study — who has brought the largest measure 
of learning and criticism to the elucidation of 
its history and doctrines — who has meditated 
most upon its teachings, and prayed with the 
warmest fervor over its pages — he it is who 
now finds in it the highest excellence and 
beauty, and who decle^res with the most con- 
fidence that the Bible is an inexhaustible mine 
of precious truth — an unfailing fountain of 



so 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



mercy and love. Now, how is this to be ex- 
plained? Why does not this book, like other 
books which are frequently read, become trite 
and uninteresting? Is it not because God's 
Spirit is in His Word? Is not this the living, 
undying element in the Scriptures — that mys- 
terious influence which renders the Bible an 
immortal book? Have you not, when enjoying 
the special illuminations of the Holy Ghost, 
read a passage with which you were perfectly 
familiar, and been transported with a truth 
never before revealed to you? A new light 
seemed to shine upon the page, and illuminate 
every line; it was as if every letter had been 
suddenly capitalized — as if God himself had 
spoken to you in his Word with peculiar dis- 
tinctness and power. 

Let the young disciple, as he bends over the 
sacred record, learn to implore the aid of God's 
Spirit, and he will soon discover in the Scrip- 
tures a beauty, justness, and propriety which 
will captivate his attention; a richness of truth 
and promise 7 which will enrapture his soul; and 
a power and energy of argument and inspira- 
tion which will exalt him to converse and com- 
munion with the Eternal. 



HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 



31 



M Come, Holy Ghost— for, moved by thee, 
The prophets Tnrote and spoke — 
Unlock the truth, thyself the key — 
Unseal the Sacred Book." 

Make the truth of God the subject of constant 
-meditation. 

The Psalmist declares of the good man that 
" his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in 
his law doth he meditate day and night;" and 
when he refers to his own experience he ex- 
claims, "0, how love I thy law! It is my 
meditation all the day. Mine eyes prevent the 
night watches,- that I might meditate in thy 
Word." 

The mind, when not necessarily engaged 
otherwise, should be occupied with the truths 
of revelation. If this be the case there will 
grow up a familiarity with divine things, with 
the usus loquendi of the Scriptures, and with 
the general teachings of the Word of God, 
which will be of incalculable advantage. Take, 
therefore, as you go forth in the morning to 
encase in the labors and to meet the difficulties 
of life, some passage of Scripture, if it be no 
more than a single verse, as the subject of 
meditation for that day, and at every leisure 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



moment let the mind fasten upon it as a germ 
of thought; let it be turned over again and 
again, and viewed in all its aspects; let it be 
changed into the language of prayer and winged 
up to heaven; let it be used as a charm against 
worldliness and a talisman against temptation ; 
and let it fill your mind with its sweet, instruct- 
ive imagery as you sink into the soft repose 
of night. You will find, as the result of this 
process, that the passage has grown greatly 
in importance — has a breadth and fullness of 
meaning of which you never dreamed. You 
will begin to discover the beauty and richness 
of the Word of God. You will begin to derive 
from it unspeakable consolations ; for those little 
sparks of Divine love which fall upon our hearts 
from the scintillating sun of inspiration will, if 
fanned by the warm breath of meditation and 
prayer, become a quenchless flame, consuming 
our iniquities and purifying our souls as gold 
is refined and purified in the heated furnace. 

We can give you, therefore, no better counsel 
than that contained in the following extract 
from the writings of a distinguished divine : 
" Acquire the habit of devout reflection on 
divine and eternal things ; let the truth of God 



HOW TO STUDY THE SCRIPTURES. 33 



be ever present to your mind; but forget not 
that you need light and power from above. 
You must ask wisdom from God, who giveth 
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; thus 
shall you walk in safety. The instruction which 
you receive from the Word of God shall be 
rendered efficacious and sanctifying by the Spirit 
of God, and your wills shall be rectified, your 
affections purified, and your footsteps being thus 
ordered in his Word no iniquity shall have do- 
minion over you." 

"Father of Mercies, in thy Word 
What endless glory shines ; 
Forever be thy name adored 
For these celestial lines. 

Here may the wretched sons of want 

Exhaustless riches find ; 
Riches above what earth can grant, 

And lasting as the mind. 

0, may these heavenly pages be 

Oar ever dear delight! 
And still new beauties may we see, 

And still increasing light I" 
3 



34 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 

"Prayer" says Richard Watson, " is a sol- 
emn addressing of our minds to God, as the 
fountain of being and happiness, the ruler of 
the world, the father of the family of man. It 
includes in it the acknowledgment of the Di- 
vine perfections and sovereignty; thankfulness 
for the mercies we have received; penitential 
confession of our sins ; and an earnest entreaty 
of blessings, both for ourselves and others." 
In the Westminster Catechism it is thus denned: 
"Prayer is the offering of our desires to God 
for things agreeable to his will, in the name of 
Christ, with confession of our sins, and a thank- 
ful acknowledgment of his mercies." 

Prayer is either mental, private, or public — 
the latter including both family and social 
prayer. All these modes are of general obli- 
gation, as is sufficiently proved by that single 
passage, "praying always with all prayer;" 
that is, with all sorts or kinds of prayer. 



THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 



35 



In this chapter your attention is invited to 
a consideration of the duty of prayer; or to 
some motives which should lead you to engage, 
with earnestness and perseverance, in this sub- 
lime and hallowed exercise. 

God commands you to pray. 

A few passages will establish this point: "Pray 
without ceasing " In every thing, by prayer 
and supplication with thanksgiving, let your 
requests be made known unto God;" "Watch 
ye, therefore, and pray always;" "Continuing 
instant in prayer;" "Pray one for another." 
That God has a right thus to command our de- 
votions, is unquestionable. He is our Creator, 
Sovereign, and Father. His authority is legiti- 
mate and sacred. It is just and proper for 
him to exact obedience, because he is God — no 
higher reason need be sought. That it is our 
interest to obey — that his commands are gra- 
cious, and contemplate our best good, is equally 
apparent. His behests are the dictates of infi- 
nite wisdom — the promptings of boundless good- 
ness, and of fathomless love. His government 
is beneficent and paternal ; and, while it secures 
the Divine glory, it promotes the happiness of 
man. We must pray, then, because God re- 



36 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



quires us to pray ; and in obeying the injunc- 
tion, we shall receive a gracious and peculiar 
reward. 

Your spiritual condition renders this exercise 
eminently proper. 

By nature all men are the children of wrath, 
prone to wander from God as the sparks to fly 
upward. Depravity spreads its loathsome cank- 
er over the entire heart. Corruption flows in 
the vital currents of the soul; rebellion flames in 
the whole life; the moral powers are prostrated; 
and the excited appetites and passions tyrannize 
over the higher and nobler faculties. Thus de- 
graded and enslaved by sin, we are doomed to 
inevitable destruction, except some mighty and 
gracious being come to our rescue. And only 
the Infinite is able to accomplish this work of 
moral renovation— to bring order and beauty 
out of chaos and confusion of nature's night. 
His almighty power, therefore, it becomes us 
to implore, that the live coal from the celes- 
tial altar may be laid upon our lips — that 
our iniquity may be taken away and our sin 
purged. 

We are, moreover, actual transgressors, as 
well as originally defiled by nature; we have 



THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 



37 



sinned in innumerable instances, in thought, 
word, and deed; the long, black catalogue 
of our moral delinquencies is before the eye 
of Jehovah; the registration of our offenses 
is on high; none of them are forgotten by God. 
But in answer to prayer, he* has promised us 
pardon and acceptance. How powerful, then, 
the motive to supplication ! The Lord is nigh 
unto all that call upon him, to answer and 
bless. If we pray, as directed in his Word, 
our orisons will come up before him, as a 
sweet incense, and his mercies will descend 
upon us as the morning dew. 

We should also consider our destitute and de- 
pendent condition. The riches of the universe 
belong to God — his are all temporal and spirit- 
ual treasures. He can supply all our wants 
out of his abundant fullness. In our impov 85 
erished condition we may come to him, and he 
will not send us empty away. We receive our 
very breath from him, and every temporal 
blessing we enjoy is a demonstration of his 
beneficence. We are also dependent upon him 
every moment for grace and strength to pre- 
serve our integrity, and to maintain the essen- 
tial elements of spiritual life. Then should not 



38 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



the desires of our hearts go out after him, and 
the attitude of our souls be always that of sup- 
plication? Should not this especially be the case 
with you who have been so lately converted? 
How constantly do you need to have the bread 
of life broken to your souls ! How frequently 
must you be refreshed from the living fountains 
of salvation! Be diligent, then, to ask that 
you may receive. Lift up your soul to God, 
and he will listen to your cries, and enrich 
with his saving grace. Come and kneel as a 
suppliant, at the footstool of Divine mercy, and 
you shall rise up and go away, as a prince, 
gorgeously attired and nobly endowed. 

Consider, again, that you are exposed to 
temptations and trials — to losses and bereave- 
ments; and that you need the strength which 
comes from prayer, and the grace which is im- 
parted in answer to supplication, that you may 
overcome the world, resist all the approaches 
of sin, and " endure unto the end." Obey, 
then, the Divine injunction: "Let your re- 
quests be made known unto God; and the peace 
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall 
keep your hearts and minds through Christ 
Jesus/' 



THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 



39 



The many mercies you have received call for 
devout acknowledgment. 

God has been very good to you. Existence, 
and every thing which makes existence de- 
sirable, you have received from his bountiful 
hand. For all temporal mercies, you are in- 
debted to a gracious Providence. It is because 
he has distinguished you by his goodness 
that you live in a Christian land; that you en- 
joy civil protection and religious privileges; 
that the light of the Gospel has shone upon 
your pathway, and the joyful sound of salvation 
saluted your ears ; and that the Holy Spirit has 
been shed forth to regenerate your heart, and 
transform you into the glorious image of the 
Son of God. Do not these inestimable bless- 
ings call for devout acknowledgment? Should 
you not come with thanksgiving in your heart, 
and the accents of praise upon your lips, into 
the presence of Jehovah, and make mention of 
his goodness? And should not these benefac- 
tions of his providence and grace encourage 
you to expect still greater expressions of Di- 
vine regard? To "take the cup of salvation 
and call upon the name of the Lord" is the 
best return you can render for "all his benefits" 



40 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



toward you. Be moved, therefore, by the mer- 
cies you have already received to wait con- 
tinually upon the Lord. 

Prayer is a means of grace, and should be 
diligently used in order to spiritual profit. 

It is in the nature of prayer to cause us 
to realize our necessities, our dependence upon 
God, and our great obligation to love and serve 
him. The All- Wise, moreover, has seen fit to 
make this the condition of the bestowment of 
his richest gifts — the indispensable prerequisite 
of saving grace. It is by prayer that you will 
gain strength to resist temptation, to overcome 
the world, and to discharge the most difficult 
Christian duties with firmness and pleasure. 
In the exercise of the ennobling privilege of 
prayer you will find rich and immortal con- 
solations. It will soothe your fears, supply 
your wants, relieve your distresses, illumine 
your darkness, comfort your despondency, irra- 
diate your future, fill your soul with celestial 
love, and exalt you, finally, to the companion- 
ship of angels, and the joys of heaven. Be 
often found, then, at a throne of grace, seeking 
for Divine wisdom, and for the sanctifying in- 
fluences of the Holy Ghost; so shall you grow 



THE DUTY OF PRAYER. 



41 



in spiritual stature, be enabled through. God to 
triumph over all your enemies, and be brought 
at last to reign with him in his everlasting 
kingdom. 

We have not space to call your attention to 
other considerations to which we designed to 
allude, and upon a subject so plain and com- 
prehensible we need not enlarge. Your own 
experience will soon convince you that that 
prayer which is "the child of a contrite spirit, 
the offspring of a soul converted, born in a 
blaze of unutterable inspiration, and winged 
like lightning for the skies, is an all-efficient 
panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which 
never is exhausted, a sky unobscured by clouds, 
a haven unruffled by the storm;" arid with the 
golden-mouthed saint you will be ready, in de- 
lightful exclamations, to add, "0, prayer! 0, 
blessed prayer! thou art the unwearied con- 
queror of human woes, the firm foundation of 
human happiness, the source of ever-during 

joy." 



42 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER. 

It is not every "form" of words, ostensibly 
offered up to the Almighty, that constitutes 
prayer. We may utter the language of sup- 
plication without having our hearts imbued with 
sentiments of devotion. We may approach a 
throne of grace, and in the estimation of our 
fellows offer our orisons with marked ability, 
when we obtain no audience with Deity, and 
go away unprofited. Prayer, to prevail with 
God, must be of a certain character — must be 
based upon the expressed and implied condi- 
tions of the Inspired Word. We proceed to 
mention some of the conditions of prevailing 
prayer. 

We must approach God with sincere and 
honest hearts. 

Our devotion must be spiritual. We must 
remember that the very imaginings of our 
thoughts are known to God, and that he takes 
cognizance of our feelings and emotions as well 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYEK. 43 



as words and acts. "When ye pray," said our 
Savior, " rise not vain repetitions as the heathen 
do ; for they think they shall be heard for their 
much speaking;' 5 on which Mr. Wesley com- 
ments as follows: "To repeat any words with- 
out meaning them is certainly a vain repetition; ■ 
therefore we should be extremely careful in all 
our prayers to mean what we say, and say only 
what we mean, from the bottom of our hearts. 
The vain and heathenish repetitions which we 
are warned against are most dangerous, and 
yet very common, which is a principal cause 
why so many who still profess religion are a 
disgrace to it, Indeed, all the words in the 
world are not equivalent to one holy desire; 
and the very best prayers are but vain repeti- 
tions if they are not the language of the heart." 
The publican who went up into the Temple to 
pray is a fine example of a sincere and devoted 
worshiper. Feeling himself a violator of God's 
law, and realizing that unless the Divine com- 
passion should be extended unto him he must 
sink into the fathomless gulf of hopeless despair, 
his anguished soul finds expression in that burst 
of passionate desire, " God be merciful to me a 
sinner!" 



44 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



We must forgive those who have trespassed 
against us if ive would obtain pardon and grace 
when we approach the mercy-seat. 

Our Lord has distinctly taught us this doc- 
trine. In the formula of prayer which he has 
left for our use and instruction he directs us to 
pray,- "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our 
^ debtors." It is worthy of notice that this is 
the only petition in that comprehensive prayer 
upon which our Divine Master made any com- 
ment, and that was in these startling words: 
" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your 
Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if 
ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will 
your Father forgive your trespasses." This duty 
of forgiveness our Savior at another time en- 
forced still more earnestly upon the attention 
of his disciples. Peter asked, "Lord, how oft 
shall my brother sin against me and I forgive 
him?" Jesus, in reply, relates the parable of 
the king who forgave his servant a debt of ten 
thousand talents, but who revoked the pardon, 
and commanded him to be "delivered to the 
tormentors" upon its appearing that this same 
servant would not forgive his fellow-servant a 
debt of a hundred pence, but, on the contrary, 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER. 45 



treated him with unmerciful severity. Our Lord 
adds these impressive words : " So, likewise, 
shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, 
if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his 
brother their trespasses." How vain, then, will 
prove all our forms of prayer and supplication 
while toward our brother we entertain feelings 
of hardness, of unkindness, of enmity! We 
shall be forgiven only as we forgive; and it is 
no better than mocking God to engage in this 
highest act of religious worship with our hearts 
full of bitterness toward our fellow-men. A 
being of infinite purity and exhaustless good- 
ness, mercy, and truth can look upon us only 
with abhorrence. He that "hateth his brother 
is a murderer;" and how is it possible that the 
prayers of such men can be other than an 
abomination in the sight of God! 

Let us cultivate, my dear young friends, a 
kind, forbearing, forgiving spirit ; and let us see 
to it that this condition of all successful suppli- 
cation be in our case fully and perfectly met. 

Another condition of prevailing prayer is the 
exercise of ■ evangelical faith in the merits of 
Jesus Christ. 

Were we innocent beings we might ask in 



46 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



our own name, with some rational expectation 
of receiving, since it may be presumed that 
a beneficent God would delight in bestowing 
blessings upon creatures upright in heart and 
life; but having " sinned and come short of the 
glory of God," w T e may no longer rely upon 
his general mercy, since justice demands our 
punishment, and every attribute of the Divine 
character concurs in declaring the decree of 
our banishment from the Divine presence right- 
eous and holy ; so that our only hope of accept- 
ance and eternal life is through the sacrificial 
merits of the Lamb of God — through the pre- 
vailing intercessions of our great High-Priest: 
" For other foundation can no man lay than 
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." " Neither 
is there salvation in any other; for there is 
none other name under heaven given among 
men whereby we must be saved." If, then, 
for our salvation in general, w T e must rely upon 
the merits of Christ's atonement, it follows that, 
w T hen we pray for the specific blessings included 
in the generic idea of salvation, and promised to 
us in the Gospel, we are to look for a favorable 
answer to our prayers only because the blood 
of reconciliation pleads in our behalf. No fan- 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER. 47 



cied goodness of our own, no vague reliance 
upon God's mercy, will secure for us access to 
a throne of grace, and draw down upon our 
hearts the blessings of our Father and our God. 
We must come to Jehovah renouncing ourselves 
and all our works, renouncing every other plea 
but this, "Christ has died for me, a sinner; 
he has purchased my ransom, and through him 
I pray for pardon and eternal life." "I am the 
way," said Jesus, "the truth, and the life; no 
man cometh unto the Father but by me; and 
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will 
I do, that the Father may be glorified in the 
Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name 
I will do it." 

" Depend on Him — thou canst not fail; 

Make all thy wants and wishes known: 
Fear not — His merits must prevail ; 
Ask but in faith — it shall be done." 

Blessed be God! If we plead the name of 
Jesus it will prove all-powerful to save. It is 
this magic word which dispels our darkness, 
strikes off our fetters, and proclaims our ran- 
somed spirits free. It is this word which cheers 
our hearts in the dark seasons of our pilgrim- 
age, which terrifies our enemies, and which will 



48 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



linger with rapture upon our lips in the hour 
of our mortal dissolution. It is, in fine, 

" That golden key 
"Which opes the palace of eternity." 

To prevail with God we must pray in accord- 
ance with the Spirit's guidance. 

The offices of the Spirit are many and im- 
portant. He convinces of sin; he bears witness 
of our adoption; he guides us into all truth; he 
comforts and consoles our hearts in the midst 
of temptations and trials, and opens before the 
vision of the expiring saint the untold glories 
of the heavenly world. We may add to ail 
this that He assists us in our devotions. 66 We 
know not what we should pray for as we ought 
but the Spirit illumines our darkness, informs 
our ignorance, and realizes unto us our manifold 
necessities. We are encompassed with weak- 
ness, doubts, and frailties ; but " the Spirit also 
helpeth our infirmities." Coldness and formal- 
ity sometimes freeze and imprison our spirits 
till we have no heart to pray, and no courage 
to look up toward the throne of the Eternal; 
but the " Spirit itself maketh intercession for 
us with groanings which can not be uttered." 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER. 49 

How important, then, that we seek, in all our 
devotions, the direction of this infallible guide 
and comforter ! How powerfully prevailing will 
be our supplications when we are found "pray- 
ing in the Holy Ghost!" "The Spirit searcheth 
all things; yea, the deep things of God." If, 
then, we have the "mind of the Spirit" when 
we pray, we shall ask for those things which 
God is desirous to bestow upon us. The desires 
of our hearts will be prompted by him, and 
enshrined in words which he has inspired, so 
that the certainty of a successful issue to our 
suit will be without the shadow of a doubt. 
Let us endeavor, then, to "pray in the Holy 
Ghost," and most assuredly God will hear and 
answer us; his work will be revived in our 
hearts, and sinners will be converted from the 
error of their ways 

To be successful, prayer must often be impor- 
tunate. 

God has made it our privilege to urge our 

requests at a throne of grace. He has taught 

us, moreover, that there is a special power in 

persevering faith — in that indomitable spirit of 

supplication which will take no denial. Our 

Savior expressed this sentiment in the following 
4 



50 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



beautiful language: "Which of you shall have 
a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight and 
say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves ; for 
a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, 
and I have nothing to set before him. And he 
from within shall answer and say, Trouble me 
not, the door is now shut, and my children are 
with me in bed; I can not rise and give thee. 
I say unto you, though he will not rise and 
give him, because he is his friend, yet because of 
his importunity, he will rise and give him as 
many as he needeth." So God who is our 
friend, is not only disposed to bestow favors 
upon us, but will, in answer to our importunate 
supplications, grant us those blessings which we 
could not otherwise receive. The parable of 
the widow and the unjust judge was spoken by 
the Savior " to this end," or to teach this doc- 
trine, " that men ought always to pray, and not 
to faint;" and to assure us, in hours of toil 
and discouragement, that God will " avenge his 
own elect, ivhich cry day and night unto him," 
and grant them answers of joy and peace in 
the Holy Ghost. 

"That prayer," says Richard Watson, "nec- 
essarily includes earnestness, and that perse- 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER. 51 



verance which is inspired by strong desire, is 
evident from the Jews being so severely re- 
proved for ' drawing near to God with their 
lips, while their hearts were far from him:' 
from the general rule of our Lord, laid down in 
his conversation with the woman of Sychar: 
' God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, 
must worship him in spirit and in truth ' — John 
iv, 24 — and from Romans xii, 12 : ' Continu- 
ing instant in prayer/ Here, the term oroskar- 
terountes is very energetic, and denotes, as 
Chrysostom observes, ' fervent, persevering, and 
earnest prayer.' " 

The case of Jacob, who wrestled with the 
Angel of the New Covenant, " till the breaking 
of the day," forcibly illustrates the power of 
importunate supplication. Though the Angel 
said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh," yet 
the patriarch, unflinching and indomitable to the 
last, cried out, "I ivill not let thee go, except 
thou bless me." 

" In vain thou strugglest to get free — 
I never will unloose my hold: 
Art thou the man that died for me ? 

The secret of thy love unfold : 
Wrestling, I will not let thee go 
Till I thy name, thy nature know." 



52 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



Such determined faith could not fail of ac- 
complishing the desired object; and the Angel 
said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, 
but Israel; for, as a prince hast thou power 
■with God, and with men, and hast prevailed." 
If we wrestled more like Jacob, we should 
oftener prevail with God. Let us continue, 
then, to besiege a throne of grace, and impor- 
tunately press our suit before the mercy-seat, 
assured that God, who hath spoken, shall also 
make it good. 

Finally we must offer our prayers in perfect 
subjection to the will of God. 

That will is "holy, just, and good,' 5 and it 
is our highest interest that it should, in all 
cases, be accomplished. For this cause, we are 
taught to pray, " Thy will be done." Christ is 
our example. "My meat is to do the will of 
him that sent me," said the Son of God. And 
when the agonies of the crucifixion began to 
press upon him, and his soul was exceeding sor- 
rowful, even unto death, and he cried from the 
very bottom of his riven heart, " 0 my Father, 
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" he 
does not fail to add, "nevertheless, not as I will, 
but as thou wilt" This perfect subjection to 



CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PHAYER. 53 

the Divine will we should feel in offering our 
supplications to the Most High. Whatever we 
may ask, however desirable the attainment of a 
given object may seem, it is infinitely better 
that the will of God should be done than that 
our desires should be granted, except they be 
coincident with that will ; for the perfection of 
our happiness, the best good of our fellows, 
and the greatest glory of Jehovah, depend upon 
the accomplishment of the Divine purposes. 
" If we ask any thing according to his will/' 
then we have the assurance that he will hear 
and grant our petitions. If we ask any thing 
in respect to which the Divine will is not re- 
vealed, then we may, or may not, receive a 
favorable answer to our prayers; but, if we 
desire above every thing else, that the will of 
God may be done, we shall be enabled to bring 
every other desire into perfect subordination to 
this paramount inclination of the soul. Let us 
endeavor to feel, when we pray, that our no- 
blest destiny and our sweetest happiness will 
always be, to have the righteous pleasure of our 
God done in us, and by us, and that perfectly 
and forever. 

There are other considerations which might 



54 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



lead us to pray with more acceptability in the 
sight of God; but we have mentioned the nec- 
essary conditions of prevailing supplication, as 
laid down in the Scriptures. Let us take heed, 
my dear young converts, that our prayers want 
none of these essential elements. In sincerity, 
in brotherly love, in the exercise of faith in 
Jesus Christ, in accordance with the guidance 
of the Holy Ghost, in a spirit of unyielding 
perseverance, and in perfect submission to the 
will of God, "let us draw near with a true 
heart, in full assurance of faith," that "the 
peace of God, which passeth all understanding, 
may keep our hearts and minds through Christ 
Jesus." 

" 0 thou, by whom we eome to God, 
The Life, the Truth, the Way, 
The path of prayer thyself hast trod; 
Lord, teach us how to pray." 



HELPS TO PRAYER. 



55 



CHAPTER VI. 

HELPS TO PRAYER. 

Though now, in the glow of your first love, 
you delight in the exercises of devotion, and 
rejoice at the return of the hour of prayer, yet 
the period will arrive, if your experience be not 
altogether anomalous, when impassioned feeling 
will no longer lead you to your closet or to the 
sanctuary, but your life will be left to the gov- 
ernment of your religious principles. Then you 
will realize the need of something to aid you 
in your devotions. 

It may be, too, that you will be overcome by 
temptation — seduced by the glare of worldly 
pleasure, or insnared by the devices of your 
great adversary; and when the hour for private 
prayer or public worship returns, you will have 
no heart to engage in such hallowed exercises. 
That will be a crisis in your religious history. 
If, then, you shall restrain prayer and throw 
off the fear of God, you will have begun 
your march toward the wide-open gates of 



56 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



destruction. To save you from apostasy, in 
the hour of temptation, you will need helps to 
prayer; and it is in view of this cold and 
languid state of the affections, which you may 
possibly experience, that we urge upon your 
attention the considerations which follow. 

Fasting when performed as a religious act, is 
a help to prayer. 

The obligation to fast is imperative. The 
Word of God authoritatively enjoins this duty. 
And the manner in which fasting is associated, 
in the Scriptures, with prayer, shows that it 
was regarded by the inspired writers as a help 
to devotion. If we refrain from our daily food, 
the clamor of appetite will constantly remind us 
that we are performing a religious act. This 
will lead us to think of our dependence upon a 
kind Providence for the supply of our temporal 
wants; of the manner in which we have fre- 
quently abused the Divine mercies; of the 
abundance with which our Heavenly Father 
has crowned our lives — the attestations of his 
beneficence and love; of the many who are 
suffering for the want of that which we enjoy ; 
and of our numerous and increasing obligations 
to God for the rich and continuous mani- 



HELPS TO PRAYER. 



57 



Testations of his regard. All these reflections 
prompt to prayer. They call for adoration, 
confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. 

Fasting, moreover, is a triumph over fleshly 
appetites and desires from the force of religious 
considerations. It is a mortification of that 
sensual nature which is ever lusting indulgence. 
It gives power, therefore, to the spiritual, and 
exalts us to communion with God. 

The scholar knows that abstinence, so far 
as it can be imposed without injury to health, 
conduces to brilliant and powerful mental action ; 
and the experience of the Christian as certainly 
proves, that fasting clears the spiritual vision, 
quickens the religious susceptibilities, and en- 
ables the soul to appreciate the beauty, excel- 
lence, and grandeur of Divine and eternal 
things. 

And now, young Christian, though the Holy 
Scriptures appoint no regular seasons for fast- 
ing, yet, since they plainly enjoin it as a duty, 
and teach us how it is to be performed, and 
especially as it is a remarkable help to prayer, 
and promotive of clear and delightful spiritual 
views, determine for yourself the appointed 
times when you will fast and humble your sonl 



58 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



before God, and whether it be once in a week, 
or once in a month, let it be faithfully and 
conscientiously observed ; and let it be a season 
of earnest supplication for power over the 
flesh, and for enlarged spiritual conceptions and 
desires. 

We have mistaken both the teachings of 
God's Word, and the uniform intimations of 
religious experience, if you do not find such 
periods of self-denial and self-abasement calcu- 
lated to inspire your soul with prayer and 
praise. 

Watchf ulness is a help to prayer. 

Watchfulness is a duty specifically enjoined 
in the Scriptures. "Watch and pray;" "Take 
ye heed, watch and pray;" "Watch ye;" "Let 
us watch and be sober." 

We have occasion for watchfulness. Our 
own hearts are deceitful; the world is alluring 
and seductive ; and spiritual powers are leagued 
together for our destruction. Our malignant 
foes are alert and vigilant; they seek for op- 
portunities to injure and destroy us ; and if a 
single weak point be left in a state of ex- 
posure, fatal advantage will be taken of our 
careless security. It is because we journey 



HELPS TO PRAYER. 



59 



through an enemy's country, where gins and 
traps are set for our unwary feet, and where 
deadly foes lurk in ambush on either hand, 
plotting our ruin, that we are exhorted in 
the Scriptures to "walk circumspectly" — look- 
ing around us, apprehensive of danger, and 
always prepared for any and every emergency. 

Now, this watchfulness, we say, is a great 
help to prayer. It preserves the mind in a 
sober, collected state — a state eminently con- 
ducive to devotion. It informs us of our dan- 
ger — of the most distant approach of evil; and 
so prompts us to call upon God for support 
and deliverance. It is like the antennae of 
certain insects — the feelers and prognosticators 
of coming difficulties. And if by this means 
we are made to feel our dependence upon some 
Superior Power, we shall certainly be led to lift 
up our voice in supplication, that we may 
enjoy the assurance of Divine protection. 

In accordance with this view are the repre- 
sentations of the Scriptures. We are exhorted 
to be found "praying always with all prayer 
and supplication in the spirit, and watching 
thereunto with all perseverance;" or, as it is 
elsewhere expressed, " Be ye therefore sober, 



60 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and watch unto prayer." We are to watch for 
opportunities to pray — for incentives and en- 
couragements to devotion. And if we are 
permitted to discover the half of the difficulties 
and dangers which surround us, we shall not 
fail to realize the necessity of calling upon God 
for support and protection. 

Endeavor, then, young soldier of the Cross, to 
be always on your guard. And when the great 
adversary approaches and threatens to subju- 
gate your soul, go, in earnest prayer, to the 
Almighty, who "giveth us the victory," and 
you will obtain from him wisdom to direct, 
strength to endure, grace to resist, and power 
to triumph over all your enemies. Never for- 
get that unslumbering watchfulness, and believ- 
ing, persevering supplication, is the price of 
Christian freedom — the indispensable condition 
of peace, purity, and paradise. 

Self-examination is a help to prayer. 

How can we come to a throne of grace, 
and order our cause intelligently before God, 
with no certain knowledge of our own state ; of 
the condition of our hearts; of the relation we 
sustain to the Most High; or of the hopes we 
may justly entertain in respect to the future ? 



HELPS TO PRAYER. 



61 



Do not Christians, and especially young and im- 
mature Christians, often pray in a loose and gen- 
eral manner, and obtain no answers of mercy and 
peace, because they do not realize their own wants? 
They do not know themselves spiritually, and 
are consequently unable to ask specifically for 
the very things which they need. It is the 
work of self-examination to shed light upon this 
darkness; to disclose the character of the mo- 
tives and desires which actuate the soul; to 
make visible all our spiritual relations; to 
enumerate our acts of unfaithfulness; and to 
recall every defection from right, in thought, 
word, or deed, that we may be instructed and ad- 
monished ; and also to revivify every act of faith 
and obedience — every proof of loyalty to heaven 
or of beneficence to man — for our comfort and 
encouragement. Hence, the apostolic injunction, 
" Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the 
faith, prove your own selves." Inquire into 
the character of your thoughts, tempers, pur- 
poses, words, and deeds ; compare the records 
of your experience with the declarations of the 
Scriptures, and see whether you are an ex- 
ample of Gospel holiness; whether the visible 
fruits of righteousness indicate that you are 



62 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



"in the faith;" and, having proved your own 
self by a careful, thorough, and impartial ex- 
amination of your heart and life, then seek the 
grace of God to destroy whatever is wrong 
in you, to supply whatever you lack, and 
to strengthen and mature in your experience 
whatsoever things are pure, lovely, and of good 
report. 

If we do not searchingly examine our hearts 
in the light of Divine truth, self-love will prompt 
to a much better opinion of ourselves than is 
either just or safe. " The heart is deceitful 
above all things, and desperately wicked;" so 
that the wise man hath said, " He that trusteth 
in his own heart is a fool." Yet to this trust, 
this confidence in the goodness of our despe- 
rately-wicked hearts, we are naturally inclined ; 
and it needs the work of impartial self-examina- 
tion to dissolve the pleasing illusions of self- 
love, and to show us our constant need of 
infinite mercy — of pardoning and sanctifying 
grace. And when we discover our spiritual 
necessities, what better can we do than to 
go to Him who has the words of eternal life 
for the witness of acceptance and the joys of 
purity ? 



HELFS TO PRAYER. 



63 



Self-examination is a help to prayer, not only 
because it enables us to come intelligently into 
the Divine presence, but also because it shows 
us that we must pray in order to obtain salva- 
tion. "For if our heart condemn us, Grod is 
greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." 
If we can not ourselves examine without pain 
the workings of our hearts and the records of 
our lives, how shall we stand before that Om- 
niscient Judge who is infinitely pure and holy, 
and who will determine our immortal destiny? 
We may well pray with the Psalmist, "Examine 
me, 0 Lord, and prove me; try my reins and 
my heart or cry out, in the language of the 
hymn, 

" Try us, 0 God ! and search the ground 
Of every sinful heart; 
Whate'er of sin in us is found, 
0 bid it all depart/' 

We would, then, earnestly counsel all young 
disciples of our Lord to perform faithfully the 
duty of self-examination as a help to prayer; 
and we are sure that their devotions will be 
quickened and intensified as they learn more 
of their dependence upon God, and their great 
need of interposing mercy and grace. 



64 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



Meditation upon the Divine character and 
goodness is a help to prayer. 

The glorious perfections of the Most High 
challenge the admiration of men and angels. 
He that sitteth upon the throne is declared 
worthy of adoration, and homage, and praise 
from all the intelligences in earth and heaven. 
No rational being can reflect upon the glowing 
attributes of Jehovah's character without being 
moved to worship — inclined to acts of rever- 
ence, humiliation, and love. The brightest and 
loftiest of those glad "sons of the morning" 
that sang his praises at creation's birth vail 
their faces before him, cast their crowns at his 
feet, and wonder and adore in the blazing light 
of his resplendent holiness. And though we 
are compelled to worship at so great a distance, 
yet if we pause to reflect on the "glories that 
compose his name," our souls will be inspired 
with all the ardors of devotion. 

If we contemplate his goodness as mani- 
fested in acts of love and mercy, a correspond- 
ing effect will be produced. We can discover 
every-where his beneficent designs. Yv T e can 
see that he has purposed the happiness of his 
creatures. The earth is beautiful, productive, 



HELPS TO PRAYER. 



65 



and adapted to the condition of the human 
family; it is a magnificent monument of Divine 
goodness; it is an unfailing demonstration of 
the Almighty's benignity and paternal regard 
for his creatures. These whisperings of nature 
woo our souls to worship ; they invite us to 
join in hymning our Father's praise; they are 
helps to prayer. Let us meditate, then, upon 
his wondrous works. 

If we reflect upon the goodness of God, as 
declared in the Holy Scriptures, as seen in the 
mysteries of redemption, as demonstrated to us 
individually by rich benefactions of mercy and 
grace, how will our hearts be encouraged still 
to draw nigh unto him in the sublime and rap- 
turous exercises of prayer and praise! 

Devote, then, young disciple, some portion 
of your time to religious meditation; and, as 
the mercies of God pass in review before you, 
your heart will be drawn in grateful prayer to 
the Author of all goodness for continued ex- 
pressions of his beneficence and love. 

We close this chapter with a devout aspira- 
tion that all young converts may be enabled so 
to use these and all other helps to prayer, that 
their seasons of private devotion may be periods 



66 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



of spiritual interest and profit; that they may 
ever duly appreciate and faithfully improve the 
high and glorious privilege of holding converse 
with Heaven; and that every act of worship 
and obedience may help them forward to that 
land of eternal repose where faith is absorbed 
by sight, and prayer forever lost in praise. 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 67 



CHAPTER VII. 

CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 

The soul, newly born into God's kingdom, is 
surrounded by many adverse influences. The 
remains of the carnal mind still exist. The 
cross seems heavy, the way of obedience dif- 
ficult, and the demands of Christian worship 
severe and painful. The soul is tremulous 
through weakness and fear, and the heart 
grows faint, as the difficulties of the Divine 
life are contemplated. The Gospel armor ap- 
pears too weighty to be borne by one so young 
and inexperienced; and the tempter has many 
suggestions to offer, calculated to produce in- 
constancy and vacillation. It becomes such 
youthful disciples to cultivate the grace of 
Christian steadfastness. They must be firm, 
unwavering, grounded and settled in the truth, 
if they would mature in holiness, and be made 
meet for an inheritance with the saints in light. 
"Be ye steadfast" is God's word to Christian 
converts ; firmly fixed in your position ; estab- 



68 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



lished in the doctrines and practice of god- 
liness. 

Be steadfast for the sake of your own happi- 
ness. 

To feel the claims of the Gospel constantly 
pressing upon us ? to realize that we ought 
always and every-where to conduct ourselves 
as the representatives of Jesus Christ, and to 
know that the Church and the world are looking 
to us for an example of self-denial, of cross- 
bearing, and of habitual devotion to God, while 
we are at the same time conscious of the occa- 
sional neglect of duty, of hesitancy, and fitful- 
ness in our Christian course, and of a weak 
and irresolute state of soul in regard to the 
Savior's demand for service and affection, is 
to involve ourselves in such a labyrinth of 
inconsistencies and contradictions as will render 
happiness quite impossible. The soul is con- 
stantly agitated and disquieted by the pressure 
of opposing motives and influences. The moral 
forces of our nature, so often successfully re- 
sisted, become weak and indeterminate in their 
action ; all self-respect is lost, and self-reliance ; 
confidence in God is shaken and destroyed; the 
precious promises of the Gospel can not be 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



69 



claimed, for their conditions are not met; the 
Holy Spirit is grieved, and the rebellious soul 
is left to the darkness it has chosen ; an " aching 
void" remains, which the world can not fill. 
Let young converts fear and shun these sad 
and deplorable results. They may be happy. 
Jesus has bequeathed " peace" to his followers; 
he has saved us by the offering of himself to 
God, that his "joy might remain in us, and 
that our joy might be full" But if we would 
experience the joys of salvation, we must be 
faithful to the grace given us; we must "con- 
tinue in his love;" we must "abide" in Christ 
as the branch abideth in the vine; we must 
be "rooted and grounded" in the faith of the 
Gospel, " abounding therein with thanksgiving." 
If we are thus faithful, denying ourselves, bear- 
ing the consecrated cross, and discharging every 
duty in the spirit of lofty heroism and unswerv- 
ing allegiance, then "shall we lift up our face 
without spot; yea, we shall be steadfast, and 
shall not fear." 

Be steadfast that you may be useful. 

The end of your conversion is not mere en- 
joyment. You are to be the servant of Jesus 
Christ. Your time and talents belong to him, 



70 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and are henceforth to be used to his honor and 
glory. The light which you have received 
ought so to shine through you as to illumine 
the dark pathway of the transgressor. In 
converting your soul, the Lord Jesus has 
created a new power on earth,, which he designs 
to employ in establishing, on the ruins of 
Satan's empire, his own invincible kingdom. 
Upon even the youthful disciple he will place 
this honor. It is possible for you— the new- 
born of yesterday — to bring sinners to the 
Savior — to win immortal triumphs as a soldier 
of the Cross. But to accomplish these glori- 
ous results, you will need special grace and 
strength — grace and strength w T hich are given 
only to the steadfast. "He that abideth in 
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much 
fruit." The reasons for this are manifest. 
The constant soul is able to approach with 
confidence into the Divine presence : walking 
steadfastly in the precepts of the inspired 
"Word, such a one has power to prevail with 
God. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide 
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall 
be done unto you." Ail the blessings of suc- 
cessful prayer belong to the steadfast. Those 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



71 



who are "carried about with every wind of 
doctrine; 5 and who are driven to and fro, "like 
a wave of the sea/ 7 can come to God with no 
assurance that they will be heard and answered. 
They dare not expect to " receive any thing of 
the Lord." They know their remissness, their 
inconstancy, and their shameful shrinking from 
the Cross. 

These conscious vacillations weaken and de- 
stroy their faith in the Divine promises, and 
rob their souls of the covenanted blessing of 
the Gospel. It is vastly different with those 
who " abide in Christ, " whose hearts are " es- 
tablished with grace," and who " continue in 
the faith grounded and settled, and are not 
moved away from the hope of the Gospel." 
They have confidence in God, and whatsoever 
they ask, they receive of him, because they 
" keep his commandments, and do those things 
that are pleasing in his sight." These are the 
strong men in the Church; the successful la- 
borers in the Lord's vineyard; the true regener- 
ators of society. Their closets are thrones of 
power. Their supplications move ' the Divine 
compassion, and call down upon the hearts of 
sinners the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit. 



72 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



Permit me also to remind you, my dear 
young friends, that weakness and vacillation 
will never secure respect for your Christian 
profession. And in order to do men good, you 
must inspire them with some degree of confi- 
dence in your piety. If they see that you are 
sincere, earnest, and steadfast — if you are 
at all times and in all seasons the same con- 
stant, unshaken follower of Christ — if you abide 
with Jesus and reflect his image as well in 
the market-place as in the sanctuary— if you 
" continue" in the enjoyment of a Savior's 
love, disproving all prophecies of speedy dis- 
affection and apostasy — if neither the smiles 
nor the frowns of a deceptive and adverse 
world are sufficient to move you from your 
steadfastness, you will soon secure a strong, 
matured, and well-developed Christian charac- 
ter, which will command the homage and ad- 
miration of even unregenerate men, and enable 
you powerfully to affect their immortal destinies. 
Tou may not possess great talents, or enjoy a 
distinguished position in society, and may never 
be able to accomplish all that is possible to the 
favored sons of wealth and genius. But you 
can abide in the Son of God, and repeat your 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



73 



acts of faith and love, till men, discerning your 
constant mind, shall glorify your Father who is 
in heaven. 

Be steadfast, that you may secure eternal 
life. 

Many persons seem to suppose that when 
their souls are converted, the work of their 
salvation is accomplished. This is a great and 
fatal error. Such persons have but just com- 
menced the arduous struggle for holiness and 
heaven. This struggle must be life-long, and 
prosecuted with all that resistless energy which 
the immense interests involved demand. " For 
we are made partakers of Christ"— and of all 
the benefits which he has to bestow— " if we hold 
the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the 
en 4" maintain to the last our Christian in- 
tegrity and purity. Ye, therefore, beloved, see- 
ing ye know these things before, beware lest ye 
• also, being led away with the error of the wicked, 
fall from your own steadfastness." Consider how 
great a price you have to gain; how fearful a 
doom you have to shun ; how much is included 
in the salvation of your soul, and resolve to 
make sure work for heaven. Neglect no means 
of grace ; but " take unto you the whole armor of 



74 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



God, that ye may be able to withstand in the 
evil day, and having done all" — having over- 
come all — "to stand" 

" Strong in the strength which God supplies, 
Through his eternal Son." 



GROWTH m GRACE — ITS IMPORTANCE. 75 



CHAPTER VIII. 

GROWTH IN GRACE— ITS IMPORTANCE. 

The young convert will frequently be urged 
to grow in grace. This will be presented to 
his mind as both his duty and privilege. He 
will soon learn, that expansion, development, 
and an increase of faith and holiness constitute 
a law of his Christian life; his experience will 
lose its charm — its freshness and power — ex- 
cept he grow in grace. 

The flower-bud, hanging on its parent stem, 
has a chaste and delicate beauty, and the maiden 
will pluck it, with its lips of rose half opened, 
to adorn her own loveliness. But should it 
abide a bud — should not the sheltering green 
give place to carnation tints, and the rich blos- 
som shed its fragrance on the Summer air — we 
should esteem it blasted and worthless. 

The morning is beautiful when it is " spread 
upon the mountains" — when its rosy hues 
chase away the twilight shadows — when the 
golden beams of the orient flush all nature with 



76 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



brightness and promise. But the principal ele- 
ment of this attraction is the prophecy, blazing 
along the eastern sky — enshrined in this very 
morning light — that men shall rejoice in the 
splendors of a full, unclouded noon. A child 
is beautiful, as a child, beautiful beyond com- 
parison. But should there be no growth, age 
would produce deformity and excite disgust. 
These illustrations may suffice to show the 
character of the Christian life. A genuine 
experience increases, unfolds, and intensifies. 
Such is its nature. All its tendencies are toward 
growth, accretion, and accumulation of power, 
and multiplied forms of usefulness. The young 
convert, then, must advance in the knowledge 
and love of God, in order to maintain the posi- 
tion he has already reached. If his light do 
not shine "more and more," it will grow dim, 
and flicker away into darkness. Except he 
gather strength as he proceeds on his Christian 
journey, he will be reduced to the weakness of 
despair, and utterly bereft of ail resources of 
power. 

The young convert must grow in grace in 
order to be prepared for the duties and re- 
sponsibilities which will come upon him in after 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



77 



life. The Church and the world will soon ex- 
pect him to exhibit the strength and wisdom of 
maturity. They will look to him for that bold 
and confident attitude in regard to the claims 
of the Gospel, which becomes the veteran ar- 
mor-bearers of the Lord. He must be a guide 
and an example to others, in faithfulness, in 
cross-bearing, in prompt and vigorous action; 
in unswerving fidelity to the truth, and in 
sacrifices and labors to promote the cause of 
God. To meet these expectations, he will need 
all the resources of an ever-growing Christian 
experience. His faith must be strong, his con- 
secration complete, his love perfect, his zeal 
ardent and tireless, his courage unshaken, his 
patience unwearied, and his hopes bright and 
exultant. What steady advancement in the 
knowledge and love of Christ is necessary in 
order to secure these multiplied fruits of the 
Spirit! And if one has been many years in 
the Church, and is still in a state of adoles- 
cence, how great an embarrassment must it 
prove ! Let young converts resolve that they 
will be fully prepared for whatever work or 
responsibility, however difficult or dangerous, 
which Christianity may impose. Let them 



78 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



keep their eye single, aiming in every thing at 
the glory of God, that their "profiting may 
appear unto all." Let them diligently employ 
every means of grace, that their "love may 
abound yet more and more/' that they may 
" approve things that are excellent," and be 
" filled with the fruits of righteousness, which 
are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise 
of God." Be assured, my young friends, that 
growth in grace is just as important as your fu- 
ture usefulness. Your Christian life will soon 
terminate, or have at best but a poor, stunted, 
sickly existence, except it take on these vigor- 
ous and stalwart forms. 

There are multitudes in the visible Church, 
who seem just like drowning men, engaged in 
a desperate struggle to keep their heads above 
water ; and too often such persons are borne, by 
the mighty surges of temptation, hopelessly 
down. Weakness and indecision provoke the 
assaults of Satan, and he 'who fails to reach gi- 
gantic strength and stature is likely to be over- 
come. This world is, to the Christian man, a 
land of strangers and enemies, and unless he be 
able to bear the Divine panoply for his defense, 
and to wield, with matchless force, the sword of 



I 



CHRISTIAN STEADEASTNESS. 79 

the Spirit, he will become the helpless prey of 
the powers of darkness. The convert must 
anticipate temptations, and prepare to meet 
them, by that faithful waiting upon the Lord, 
which will insure a renewal of his strength. 
Trials also await him. His faith will be tried, 
his love, his patience, and his constancy. He 
will sometimes be' wounded in the house of his 
friends, and will prove that there are in the 
Church some " false brethren," and many who 
are indiscreet, meddlesome, and capricious. 

The Church militant is not the Church tri- 
umphant; and earth is not quite heaven, even 
to the soul newly inspired with the raptures of 
a Savior's love. In this militant Church, com- 
posed of imperfect erring men and women, 
the convert is to be trained, disciplined, and 
educated for usefulness and immortality. The 
very attritions, repulsions, and abrasures of 
such associations may be productive of bene- 
ficial results. They call for the exercise of 
charity, forbearance, and many Christian vir- 
tues. They necessitate a growth in grace. To 
maintain, in periods of general lukewarmness and 
worldliness, or in seasons of alienation and bit- 
terness, the warmth and purity of our affections, 



80 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



requires a large measure of the grace of God. 
These deceitful calms beget in the neophyte a 
false sense of security, while the hoarse-throated 
tempest terrifies the inexperienced, and drives 
him on to destruction. Great ships are not to 
be managed by children, especially when sur- 
rounded by icebergs, or smitten by furious mon- 
soons. And ungrown Christians destitute of the 
strength and wisdom — the bone and muscle — of 
mature and hardy manhood, are by no means 
sufficient for those fierce conflicts, through 
which the Church is often called to pass. 

Permit me also to remind you, my dear young 
converts, that Christianity promises you no 
exemption from earth-born sorrows. It has, 
indeed, unspeakable consolations for the af- 
flicted; but its office is rather to endure with 
fortitude, to produce long-suffering, and to 
invigorate with heavenly comforts, than to se- 
cure freedom from the changes and disorders 
of our sinful state. You will share in these 
trials. The bright hopes of your early years 
w ill be dimmed by clouds of adversity ; you 
will suffer the loss of property and friends ; 
sickness and sorrow will destroy your health 
and exhaust your life ; and disappointment, 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



81 



bereavement, and the infirmities of years will 
press upon you, till you will sigh for the hour of 
deliverance and the promised joys of heaven. 

In these seasons of conflict and trial you will 
need ail the support and consolation which can 
be drawn from righteous principles, from fixed 
religious convictions, from an abiding and long- 
felt assurance of the love of Christ, and from 
established habits of devout trust, of holy en- 
deavor, of unshrinking faith, and unhesitating 
obedience. This maturity of Christian experi- 
ence is the result of a steady growth in grace. 
And as you are certain to realize the need of 
all the fullness of the Divine life, employ all 
Gospel means to increase and strengthen the 
kingdom of God in your soul. 

You have found already great comfort in re- 
ligion; your spiritual vision has been cleared 
and intensified to behold in the scheme of re- 
demption glorious manifestations of the Divine 
character ; your heart has felt the mighty throbs 
of a Savior's love, and been ravished by the 
charms of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit has 
irradiated your soul with light from heaven; 
attested the fact of your adoption into the 
household of faith; and assured you of an in- 



\ 



82 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 

terest in that "purchased possession " which is 
"reserved in heaven" for all those "who are 
kept by the power of God through faith unto 
salvation." It may be that the Lord has blessed 
you to the very extent of your capacity to re- 
ceive, but that capacity is limited. He has yet 
"many things to say unto you, but ye can not 
bear them now." Yon are still children, and 
can not comprehend the mysteries of the king- 
dom of God. It is with you as with the Cor- 
inthian converts to whom the apostle said, "I 
have fed you w T ith milk and not with meat; 
for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither 
yet now are ye able." It is your interest to 
see that this state of things does not continue. 
Let it not be said reproachfully of you, as it 
was of the Hebrew Christians, "For when for 
the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need 
that one teach you again which be the first 
principles of the oracles of God; and are be- 
come such as have need of milk, and not of 
strong meat." 

They have made a profession of Christianity 
a sufficient length of time to have become adult 
believers, competent to receive the sublimest 
truths of the Gospel ; but inasmuch as they had 



CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS. 



83 



been indifferent or neglectful, and had failed to 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus 
Christ, they were still like babes, who can 
digest but the simplest food, and were able to 
comprehend only the first principles of that 
grand system of doctrine and experience which 
secures to man the perfection of character, and 
the glories of an immortal existence. These 
facts are recorded for your admonition. Your 
duty, safety, happiness, usefulness, and ultimate 
salvation call loudly upon you to use diligently 
all the grace which you have received, that 
you may be deemed worthy of still larger dis- 
plays of Divine goodness; become strong in 
the Lord; grow up into Jesus Christ, your 
living head in all things; and achieve a destiny 
on earth worthy of remembrance in heaven. 



84 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER IX. 

GROWTH m GRACE— ITS CONDITIONS. 

Growth is a mysterious and incomprehensi- 
ble process. In what way a plant or an animal 
increases in size or stature, the wisest philoso- 
pher is not able to explain. When, therefore, we 
apply this same term to the progress and devel- 
opment of the human soul, an exact definition 
of its nature should not be anticipated. The 
fact of growth, however, is a matter of observa- 
tion, and the conditions on which it depends are 
manifest. This is equally true, whether the sub- 
ject of which the fact is predicated be a natural 
organism, or a spiritual and immortal existence. 
Those conditions which secure the growth of a 
child are the same which the soul requires in 
order to come a unto the measure of the stature 
of the fullness of Christ/' It is of essential 
importance to the young convert to have a 
distinct knowledge of these conditions. We 
proceed., therefore, to state them. 

A precedent condition of groivth is life. Or 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS CONDITIONS. 85 



in other words, life is necessarily antecedent to 
growth. 

The plant or animal, without a seminal exist- 
ence, could never have been developed. The 
whole organism lies hidden in the germ. The 
infant mind enshrines all the capacities of a 
matured being, because, having life, it is sus- 
ceptible of growth. And converts are able to 
secure an increase of strength and stature in a 
spiritual sense, because they have been "born 
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor- 
ruptible by the Word of God, which liveth and 
abideth forever." When decay begins — when 
the frosty breath of the destroyer chills the 
warm life-blood — when corruption triumphs over 
the beauty and strength of organic being — then 
growth becomes impossible. Backsliders are 
not, therefore, proper subjects of growth in 
grace. Their work is that of repentance and 
humiliation of soul, till through the "abundant 
mercy" of God they are "begotten again unto 
a lively hope," reinstated in the Divine favor, 
and made heirs of the incorruptible inheritance. 
But those who feel within them the stirrings of 
spiritual life — who realize the warming and in- 
vigorating influences of the Holy Spirit upon 



86 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



their hearts — may henceforth, however recent 
that experience, or however feeble its manifest- 
ations, increase in the knowledge of God and 
in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The 
grain of mustard seed will not grow except it 
have a hidden life; but, possessed of germina- 
ting power, it becomes, though the least of 
seeds, the greatest of herbs. And such is the 
kingdom of God in the human soul. 

Another condition of growth is health. 

Health is -sometimes described as the absence 
of disease; but this definition is negative and 
unsatisfactory. Two things are essential to its 
existence. 1. All the organs must be in a 
sound state. 2. Those organs must be undis- 
turbed in their functions. 

As a spiritual being, man is thoroughly dis- 
eased. There is no soundness in his flesh, and 
no health in his bones, for his iniquities are 
gone over his head, and as a heavy burden 
they weigh down his soul. Sin, like a malig- 
nant poison, has affected every function of man's 
moral nature. There is not a single healthy 
organ, nor one which is not deranged in its 
action. The understanding is darkened, and 
the spiritual vision so blurred, that the truth 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS CONDITIONS. 87 



can scarcely be discerned. The conscience is 
in a comatose state, smitten with a preternatu- 
ral slumber, from which nothing can arouse it 
but the voice of God. The passions are stimu- 
lated to excessive activity, till the fever of desire 
swells every vein, and the heart throbs with 
the resistless tides of unhallowed emotion. The 
whole soul has sunk into a lethargy so deep 
and fearful, that the Scriptures describe it as 
a sleep produced by powerful drugs, and as a 
death in trespasses and sins. 

While such a diseased state of the soul 
continues, there can be no growth. Nothing 
like progress in virtue is possible. The entire 
tendency is toward corruption. The end of 
such moral prostration must be death. It is 
death in its incipient manifestations. Nothing 
but the life-giving power of the Gospel can 
suffice for such a soul. The aid of the great 
physician must be invoked. The healing fount- 
ain, opened in the house of David, must be 
boldly approached. The balm of a Savior's 
love must be applied to the torn and bleeding 
heart. And the mighty energies of the Holy 
Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative 
and transforming power, must fall like an elec- 



88 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



trie shock, with lightning force and velocity, on 
the palsy-stricken soul, till every nerve shall 
thrill, every muscle move, every organ begin 
to perform its appropriate functions, and the 
whole man, aroused from a dead, lethargic 
state, be restored to spiritual soundness, and 
to the image of Him by whose stripes we are 
healed. 

You have experienced, my dear young friends, 
this restoring power of the Gospel. You have 
felt the cleansing efficacy of a Savior's blood. 
Upon your souls the Sun of righteousness hath 
arisen " with healing in his wings." You have 
exclaimed, " 0, Lord, I will praise thee, who art 
the health of my countenance, and my God." 
In order to growth in grace, this spiritual 
soundness must be maintained and perfected. 
The very dregs of sin's disease must be purged 
from your moral nature. A complete moral 
renovation must be wrought by the Holy Spirit ; 
and the beauty, freshness, and vigor of the 
newly-implanted life constantly preserved, in 
order to secure that rapid growth in grace — 
that steady advancement in the knowledge and 
love of God— for which your steadfast hearts 
aspire. Go, then, to Jesus, the great Healer, 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS CONDITIONS. 89 



whose gracious words are " sweet to the soul 
and health to the bones" — a medicine for "all 
manner of sickness." He will heal "the plague 
of leprosy," saying to your earnest cry for ac- 
ceptance and favor, "I will; be thou clean." 
He will furnish a balsam for your wounds, a 
cordial for your fears, and an elixir for your 
life. He will lead you to that " fountain filled 
with blood," more efficacious to cleanse than 
the healing pool of Bethesda, and more power- 
ful to cheer, invigorate, and restore, than those 
fabled springs from which men have vainly 
sought perpetual youth. 

u See, in the Savior's dying blood, 

Life, health, and bliss, abundant flow ; 
And in that sacrificial flood, 
A balm for all thy grief and woe." 

Growth is dependent upon a sufficient supply 
of appropriate food. 

Plants and animals must have nutritive food 
in order to growth, and this is equally true of 
man's immortal nature. The mind must be fed 
with the luscious fruits which grow on the tree 
of knowledge, or it stagnates, dwarfs, and dies. 
The soul has necessities quite as imperious. It 
hungers for "the corn of heaven" — the manna 



90 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



of God. Nothing but the bread of life will sat- 
isfy its ceaseless demands. And if the Divine 
ambrosia be withheld, or the infatuated soul 
seek to minister to its immortal appetites with 
the things of earth, then growth fails to be 
realized. That the hearts of men are hungry 
as the all-devouring sea — that the soul has in- 
satiate longings for something which will gratify 
its cravings — needs no proof. It is universal 
experience. The cry of distress which rises on 
every hand — the funeral w x ail of "vanity of 
vanities " which comes from every class in so- 
ciety — springs from the simple fact, that men 
seek to feed their souls with that which is not 
bread. All substances are not food; but those 
only which can be digested and assimilated to 
our nature, and which furnish required nourish- 
ment. The things of this world can not supply 
nutriment for an immortal soul. Its wealth, its 
pleasures, its honors — all that it has to offer — 
do not contain one particle of aliment for a 
spiritual being. Men may wander through Hes- 
perian" gardens, and gather golden apples from 
the overladen boughs; but they will turn to 
ashes on their lips. They may drink deep at 
the fountains of pleasure, and. may mistake ex- 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS IMPORTANCE. 91 



hilaration for strength; but the inspiration will 
cease, and the poor deceived soul be left more 
needy and wretched than ever. 

There is a story told of a Moorish king, who 
grew too proud to live on common substances, 
and resolved to feed only on gold ; but the 
auriferous metal, as the ancient chronicler, 
with inimitable simplicity, informs us, " proved 
too hard for the royal stomach, and he died." 
Such folly is fabulous. And yet do not men 
trifle as seriously — do they not act with the 
same whimsical imbecility — in regard to their 
souls? The man in the parable of Jesus, who, 
because his grounds brought forth plentifully, 
and his barns were filled with abundant fruit, 
said to his soul — in solemn and awful mock- 
ery — " Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for 
many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be 
merry," is justly characterized as a fool, since 
he thought to satisfy an immaterial and im- 
mortal nature with the contents of his plethoric 
store-houses and barns. How does God, by 
his ancient prophet, rebuke this infatuation, 
with which worldly men are seized ! " Where- 
fore do ye spend money for that which is not 
bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth 



92 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye 
that which is good, and let your soul delight 
itself in fatness." 

Here we have presented to us the true 
sources of spiritual sustenance and immortal 
life. We must hearken unto God. The Word 
of his grace is manna to the believing soul. 
The experienced Christian feeds on the precious 
promises of the Holy Scriptures. He has 
proved the truth of that saying : " They shall be 
abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy 
house ; and thou shalt make them drink of the 
river of thy pleasures." He has come into 
God's temple; he has listened to his truth; he 
has received " with meekness the ingrafted 
Word he has fed by faith on that true bread 
which cometh down from heaven. And, as a 
consequence, he has grown up into Christ, and 
found solid peace and satisfaction for his soul. 
He has become an adult — a matured and es- 
tablished Christian. 

Let young converts, aspiring for kindred 
strength and perfection, heed the apostolic in- 
junction, "Wherefore, laying aside all malice, 
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and 
all evil-speakings, as new-born babes desire the 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS CONDITIONS. 93 

sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow 
thereby." The pure, unmixed truth of God will 
feed your soul ; and thereby — drawing sustenance 
from the inspired W ord — you may grow, increase 
and augment in spiritual power — till bone and 
muscle harden into a true Christian manhood. 
Consider also the weighty declarations of the 
Savior, in the sixth chapter of John. " I am 
the bread of life, the bread of God, the true 
bread from heaven. He that cometh to me 
shall never hunger; and he that believeth on 
me shall never thirst. Whoso eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I 
will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh 
is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." 
If you feed by faith on the Son of God — par- 
take in a spiritual sense of his broken body and 
shed blood — receive him into your heart, and 
become one with him by participating in his 
image and nature — then the living bread will 
make you strong to do his work, infuse into 
your soul immortal vigor, mature and perfect 
your experience, and bring you to those joys 
which are full and forever. 



" Dear Savior ! let thy beauties be 
My soul's eternal food ; 



94 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



And grace command my heart away 
From all created good." 

The final condition of growth which we men- 
Hon is exercise. 

This is necessary both for body and soul. 
The growth of the former can not be secured, 
as the result of healthy organs or nutritious 
food, if exercise be neglected. Without it the 
flesh becomes flabby, the bones soft, the whole 
nervous system deranged, and the entire frame- 
work strengthless and decrepit. It is exercise 
which transmutes the delicate boy into a robust 
and athletic man. Thus it is of the soul. If 
its energies stagnate, if it becomes the victim 
of sluggish inactivity, if it be cursed with tor- 
por and inertia, it sinks into a soft, enervated, 
and imbecile condition. It is action, cross-bear- 
ing, works of charity and labors of beneficence, 
which produce the most rapid growth, the most 
harmonious development, and the most glorious 
perfection of Christian character. " Bodily ex- 
ercise profiteth little; but godliness is profita- 
ble unto all things." "Exercise thyself," there- 
fore, "rather unto godliness/' 

If young converts observe these conditions— 
if they maintain the warmth and glow of their 



GROWTH IN GRACE— ITS CONDITIONS. 95 



Christian life— if they preserve all the functions 
of their spiritual being in a state of healthy 
and vigorous action— if they feast their souls 
on that true and living bread which cometh 
from heaven— if they are diligent and tireless 
as laborers in the Lord's vineyard, saying with 
the apostle, "And herein do I exercise myself 
to have always a conscience void of offense 
toward God and toward men"— then, through 
the operation of laws which are as immutable 
as the Divine Being, they will unmistakably 
" grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 



96 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER X. 

GROWTH IN GRACE-ITS EVIDENCES. 

It is important that the convert should ad- 
vance in holiness, and that he should fully com- 
prehend the conditions of spiritual growth. It 
is also essential to his safety and happiness to 
be able to determine his position, and measure 
his progress in the Divine life. If God demands 
that he "go forward/' it can not be a matter of 
indifference whether or not the passing months 
and years are perfecting him in the virtues of 
the Christian character, and bringing him on 
his way to heaven. How shall he know that 
he has grown in grace ? 

Membership in the Church, blind faith in a 
creed, cheerful submission to the requirements 
of a pompous ritual, partisan devotion to de- 
nominational measures — none of these things, 
nor all of them together, demonstrate an aug- 
mentation of spiritual power. Indeed, all of 
these may exist without any experience of the 
favor of God. Such is the case with thousands 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 97 



in the Romish Church. They have never known 
the pardoning love of Christ, but they call them- 
selves Christians, they are as orthodox as a 
General Council, they neglect no rite or cere- 
mony the observance of which is demanded in 
the canons, and they would be ready to shed 
their blood for what they esteem the true faith. 
But those things, however useful and important 
in the constitution of a Church, can not indicate 
a growth in grace, which may exist in the ab- 
sence of experimental religion. 

Growth is an imperceptible process, and is 
evidenced only by the results. The child is 
not conscious of growth, but is conscious of 
having grown. The increase of physical and 
mental pov/er is so gradual, that it is impossible 
to determine when childhood ripens into man- 
hood. But there is no mistaking maturity when 
it is reached. So it is with the Divine life. The 
convert, passing into the strength and fullness 
of Christian experience, is able to discern the 
successive stages of his advancement. That he 
has groivn is an indisputable fact, for the fruits 
of growth have been attained. These results 
indicate the originating cause, and ought, there- 
fore, to be clearly comprehended. 

7 



98 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



He ivho has grown in grace will have a con- 
scious increase of spiritual strength. 

The convert is in the infancy of his Christian 
career. His knowledge, his ability, and his en- 
joyments are those of childhood. He is sincere, 
earnest, and inspired with a pure and genuine 
enthusiasm. But his spiritual life is feeble, 
and the whole movement of his moral being is 
marked by weakness, exciting often painful ap- 
prehensions. His faith is small, his love im- 
perfect, and his hopes faint and tremulous. 
The cross seems heavy, the way of obedience 
difficult and painful, and the opposition to be 
encountered fierce and terrible. 

Now, if, after the lapse of a given period, the 
new-made disciple can look over the records of 
his experience, and find that he has become more 
settled and established in his Christian course — 
that sin appears more loathsome and appall- 
ing: — that the attractions of God's service have 

o 

become more bright and glowing— that the bur- 
dens which the Gospel imposes are more easily 
borne — -that temptations are more promptly and 
decisively resisted, and have less power to dis- 
turb the calm serenity of the trusting soul — that 
the most mortifying and embarrassing duties are 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 99 



cheerfully performed — that the most costly sac- 
rifices, to promote the glory of the Redeemer's 
kingdom, are gladly and rejoicingly made — and 
that the grandest achievements of conquest and 
suffering are deliberately contemplated and he- 
roically proposed — then there may be an assur- 
ance that a growth in grace, productive of the 
most important results, has been realized. 

Growth in grace is evidenced by increased 
ability to grasp the profound truths of the 
Gospel. 

Christianity has revelations for man's intel- 
lectual nature which are incomparably grand 
and glorious. It enriches the mind with the 
highest style of knowledge ; it sheds a flood of 
light on the great problem of human existence ; 
it is the encyclopedia of earth and heaven. 
History, philosophy, and destiny are inscrutable 
mysteries, till revelation places in our hand the 
key to their inner sanctuaries. He who is 
ignorant of God does not know himself, is 
unable to understand the past, and has no 
vision which can pierce the darkness of the 
future. But the beaming light of a Savior's 
countenance renders all things luminous. The 
knowledge of God is the beginning and the 



100 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



consummation of all knowledge. The true 
psychology is in the Holy Scriptures. Man 
first begins to comprehend himself when he 
takes his place at the feet of Jesus. He can 
look farthest into the cavernous depths of 
the human heart who has lately turned his 
gaze toward heaven, and caught a glimpse of 
the " excellent glory." The original demands 
of our natures — the wild turbulence of passion— 
the irrepressible longings for the distant, the 
unattained, and the immortal— the keen sense 
of accountability, with its attendant conscious- 
ness of guilt and apprehension of punishment — 
the startling voices with which memory speaks 
to us out of the dim abyss of a never-to-be- 
forgotten past — the solemn reality of death, and 
the instinctive shrinking from the Great Here- 
after — all, in a word, which renders man a 
mystery to himself and inexplicable to his 
fellows, is made clear and radiant in the Gospel 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Of this Gospel, and the glorious revelations 
which it contains, the new-born child of God 
has only a faint conception. Pie has but just 
crossed the threshold of the outer court of the 
magnificent temple of Divine truth. And, though 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 101 

the first gaze may have astonished and enrap- 
tured his soul, its full and perfect splendor he has 
never imagined. The light which shines upon 
him has been softened and tempered to his in- 
firm and distorted vision, that, emerging from 
the gloomy prison-house of sin into the full 
noontide of Gospel day, he might not be blinded 
and bewildered with the too dazzling glory. 
In regard to spiritual enlightenment he has re- 
ceived nothing beyond the twilight glow of a 
genuine Christian experience. But the soft and 
shaded colors, which have beamed upon his path- 
way and gladdened his heart, are not destined 
to sink into the denser shades of night, but, 
like the twilight of the morning, to become 
more golden and resplendent, till the full-orbed 
sun illumines ail the heavens. The very nature 
of the grace which he has received is to en- 
large his capacity to apprehend and enjoy God, 
and to excite in his soul intense longings to 
know the fullness of that infinite love "which 
passeth knowledge." He, therefore, who ad- 
vances in the Divine life will find that his 
ability to grasp the sublime truths of the Gospel 
has steadily increased. He understands better 
the ways of God, the plan of redemption, the 



102 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



grand purpose of a Savior's reign, the course 
of Providence, the work of the Holy Spirit, 
the nature of the kingdom of God in the soul, 
the extent and limitation of creature accounta- 
bility, and the sublime and weighty truth of 
the soul's immortal existence. Childish wonder 
has ceased, and the grotesque ideas and inco- 
herent conceptions of his early experience have 
passed away. He was a mere child, so far as 
the things of God are concerned, and he can 
remember how much he thought and understood 
and spoke as a child ; but now having " become 
a man » — having reached a maturity of develop- 
ment, and being endued with knowledge and 
power — he has " put away childish things,' 1 and 
entered upon a new and eventful phase of his 
Christian career. 

Growth in grace is evidenced by enlarged 
capacities for enjoyment and suffering. 

The newly-converted soul is happy ; the 
kingdom of God is peace and joy; "the dark- 
ness is past, and the true light now shine th ;" 
the sense of guilt is removed, and the defiled 
heart, washed in the blood of Christ, exults in 
conscious purity. No condemnation is dreaded, 
a Savior's love is experienced, the Spirit testi- 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 103 



fies to the fact of adoption, the title to the 
heavenly inheritance is revealed, and the en- 
raptured soul swells with unborn halleluiahs. 
The convert is apt to think that heaven can 
have nothing better to bestow, and there are 
not wanting those who will assure hirn that he 
is now seeing his best days. Sis ignorance of 
the progressive character of the Christian life 
may be excused ; but such declarations from the 
lips of those who should be guides and pat- 
terns, are reprehensible in the extreme. They 
usually come from persons who are backslidden 
in heart and apostate in life. Let the convert 
pursue the course they have pursued— neglect 
duty, disobey God, and grieve the Holy Spirit— 
and he will soon have their experience of grief 
and shame, and will recall his conversion, as 
one recalls a brilliant morning which was soon 
c l ou( led— a glimpse of glory which was snatched 
in a moment from the enchanted soul. 

Such is not a true Christian experience. 
" The path of the just shineth more and more 
unto the perfect day." The convert will, in- 
deed, enlarge his knowledge of the deep de- 
pravity of his nature— of the strength of sin 
still remaining in him — of his weakness and 



104 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



peril in the hour of temptation— of the grievous 
imperfection of his best works— and of his en- 
tire inability to do any thing of himself to 
please God, to benefit his fellow-men, or to 
gain heaven. But, at the same time, he will 
obtain clearer views of the full and glorious 
provisions of the Gospel, and their entire 
adaptation to his necessities— the sufficiency of 
the grace of God for every hour of conflict and 
trial— the mysterious economy of redemption 
through which his imperfect works may be ac- 
cepted, if offered in the prevailing name of 
Jesus Christ, and the ever-present agency of 
the Holy Spirit to cheer, sustain, guide, or 
enrapture, as the varied circumstances of his 
case may require. Growth in grace will render 
a man conscious of his own nothingness and of 
his entire dependence upon God; but it will 
also secure him touching exhibitions of the love 
of Christ— overpowering displays of the Divine 
goodness— marked manifestations of paternal 
care in the orderings of a gracious Providence— 
and sublime visions of that future and eternal 
state, which is to be the grand theater of the 
soul's immortal existence. 

Such experience must have educational power. 



GROWTH IN GRACE— ITS EVIDENCES. 105 



They discipline and develop. They have an 
expansive force, which is felt by every faculty of 
our spiritual nature. They necessitate growth, 
and then by the results produced they evidence 
its existence. The mature Christian is capable 
of such enjoyments as are not possible to the 
new-born disciple. Every measure of grace be- 
stowed capacitates the soul to receive and en- 
joy a still greater measure. The joys of child- 
hood are real, but they are insignificant. The 
young life ripples in music, but it lacks fullness 
and depth. It has freshness and purity, but it 
wants experience and power. Its serenity is 
easily disturbed, a cloud of gossamer will darken 
its sky, and a single blast of adversity will 
scatter its fond hopes, like the leaves of Autumn. 
It is otherwise with maturity. We may no 
longer feel, when life has reached its meridian, 
the°sudden rapture, and the glow of new sensa- 
tions, which "take the imprisoned soul, and 
lap it in Elysium ; ?? but we have such 

" Sacred and home-felt delight, 

Such sober certainty of waking bliss," 

as the young heart has never known. And 
such are the exercises of the youthful believer, 



\ 



106 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



compared with, those of the full-grown Chris- 
tian. 

The joys of the latter are established and 
triumphant. The grasp of his faith has become 
mighty, the measure of his love perfect, and 
the extent of his enjoyment beyond human 
computation. The bliss of his soul, in its rapt 
communion with Jehovah, can only be symbol- 
ized by the ocean whose surface, indeed, may 
be agitated when "the Almighty's form glasses 
itself in tempests/' but whose profound depths 
are fixed and immovable forever. 

This increased capacity to enjoy involves a 
keener susceptibility to suffering. The matured 
Christian has great and severe trials. He is, 
to some extent, like his Master — a "man of 
sorrows." He weeps over the deficiencies of 
his own experience, the desolation of Zion, and 
the impenitence of the ungodly. These griefs, 
however, are not destructive of his peace. In 
the crucible of affliction his nature is refined 
and purified. He is brought into profounder 
sympathy with Jesus through the fellowship of 
suffering; and inasmuch as he is a partaker of 
the sufferings, he is also a partaker of the con- 
solation, and will be a sharer in the glory which 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 107 



is to be revealed. He welcomes those sorrows 
which bring him nearer to the heart of Jesus, 
and rejoices in those tribulations which alienate 
his affections from the world, and burnish and 
brighten that crown of immortality which the 
Lord will give him in the day of final ap- 
proval. 

The young convert has scarcely a perception 
of this type of religious experience; but growth 
in grace will bring him to its realization; and 
when it is reached he will feel, as he surveys 
the records of his Christian progress, that he 
has passed from childhood unto manhood, inas- 
much as his joys and sorrows, and his capacities 
for happiness and suffering, are no longer those 
of juvenility, but those of maturity. 

Groivth in grace is evidenced by increased 
ability to work for God. 

All the children of God are workers; there 
are no drones in the household of faith; every 
member of the family has some assigned task; 
the latest born into the kingdom has some por- 
tion of the vineyard of the Lord to cultivate, 
which he is required to render more beautiful 
and productive. The convert becomes conscious, 
as the new life thrills with Divine energy through 



108 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



Iiis veins, that he can do something for God. It 
is comparatively little, however, that he is able 
to accomplish; he lacks wisdom, strength, and 
experience. Nevertheless, he must be active ; 
indolence will curse him with moral desolation. 
There is no other way for him to attain the 
ability that he seeks than that of studious and 
persevering efforts to be useful. His attempts 
to do something for the glory of his Lord 
and Master will always be attended with some 
measure of success. If others are not profited, 
he will himself have become stronger, more be- 
neficent, and Christ-like, as the reward of his 
diligence and fidelity. Every day will add to 
his ability to labor effectively, to propose and 
consummate grander achievements, and to ac- 
complish greater miracles of fruit-bearing to the 
glory and praise of God. There is no better 
evidence of maturity than ability to do a man's 
work. And this evidence the adult Christian 
enjoys. 

And because conscious of increased ability 
to do the truly-charitable and heroic work to 
which the strong and perfected believer is sum- 
moned, he is satisfied that he has grown in 
grace, walked in Christ Jesus even as he re- 



GROWTH IN GRACE — ITS EVIDENCES. 109 



ceived him, and become "rooted and built up 
in him, and established in the faith, abounding 
therein with thanksgiving." 

"His work my hoary age shall bless, 
When youthful vigor is no more j 
And my last hour of life confess 

His saving love, his glorious power." 



110 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XI. 

RECREATIONS. 

The mind must have its hours of relaxation. 
The weary body does not more need rest than 
the overtaxed mental powers. But idleness is 
not rest. Change is needed, not stagnation. 
The thoughts must be turned into other chan- 
nels; the desires must be kindled in the pur- 
suit of other than the accustomed objects, and 
the feelings must be interested in such things 
as can furnish both occupation and amusement. 
This demand for recreation springs from a rad- 
ical need of our physical and spiritual being, 
when employment and a uniform course of 
mental and moral action have produced weari- 
ness and satiety. It is not, therefore, to be 
expected that conversion will destroy this ne- 
cessity. The same law will operate; the same 
need be realized. Christianity does truly invest 
life with awful significance, renders us conscious 
of momentous responsibilities, and presses upon 
our hearts the fearful solemnities of death, and 



RECREATIONS. 



Ill 



judgment, and eternity. But it does not eradi- 
cate any faculty of our being, it does not annul 
any law of psychological action, and itf does not 
incapacitate us for any true, rational enjoy- 
ment. Neither is it designed to lessen our 
interest in this life, or to render us indifferent 
to its commonest joys or most trivial comforts. 

The convert, therefore, need not suppose 
that Christianity will deny him all diversions, 
demand the expulsion of every smile from his 
countenance, elongate his vision, turn him 
away from every source of healthful amuse- 
ment, deprive him of social intercourse, and 
mantle his whole life with a monastic garb of 
sackcloth and sorrow. The Gospel gives no 
sanction to that miserable cant of piety which 
finds expression in deep-drawn sighs, and 
talks " of graves, of worms, and epitaphs," 
as if religion were designed to rob us of all 
earthly happiness, in order to bring us to those 
joys which are celestial. To the very extent 
that present, temporal enjoyments can be se- 
cured without the sacrifice or injury of those 
which are future . and eternal, our Heavenly 
Father blesses us in the possession of the things 
of this world, and sweetens and ennobles by his 



112 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



grace "the life that now is," while he gilds 
with glorious promise that " which is to come." 
He will* permit us, then, such recreations as 
will not dissipate the mind or debase the soul- 
such as will not destroy our self-respect or 
hinder our usefulness — such, in a word, as can 
be used in a prayerful, thankful spirit, and in 
the name of the Lord Jesus. This leaves open 
to us many delightful sources of enjoyment; 
while it enables us to designate, with unerring 
precision, those springs of pleasure, whose wa- 
ters, however brightly they sparkle, are pois- 
oned at the fountain-head. 

To plant a garden, Bacon thought the "purest 
of human pleasures," and many men of noblest 
intellects have found refreshment and diversion 
in the cultivation of plants and flowers. Such 
simple rural tastes, charming our steps from 
the thronged streets where men " do congre- 
gate," soothing our perturbed spirits with genial 
influences from earth and sky, and occupying 
our thoughts with the ever-repeated miracles 
of growth and production, are not without their 
effects upon our characters. And we would 
urge all Christian converts, as a source of 
healthful, peaceful recreation, to make a gar- 



RECREATIONS. 



113 



den, and devote their leisure hours to the pro- 
duction of whatever is beautiful or useful in the 
varied forms of vegetable life. 

Books are an unfailing resource to those 
who have learned to derive pleasure from their 
silent pages. They contain the best thoughts 
of the best men ; they introduce us into the 
society of the wisest, most learned and most 
beneficent, and noble of all who have ever 
lived; they speak to us with precision and 
deliberation, in strains of loftiest eloquence, 
making recitals of breathless interest, summon- 
ing from a sepulchral past, thoughts and deeds, 
which grow with immortal freshness and beauty, 
and repeating in our ears those songs of passion 
and power — those high and holy anthems to 
freedom and God — with which the heaven- 
inspired bards have ravished the heart of the 
world. 

But all books are not worthy of this consid- 
eration. Some are unmistakably vicious. They 
were written by bad men, for base purposes. 
We counsel young converts especially to eschew 
such books. They contain the poison of asps, 
and are "set on fire of hell." They are the 

literature of Satan, and constitute his most 

8 



114 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



powerful enginery for battering down the bul- 
warks of virtue and religion. Those productions 
which the wise and good have pronounced bad- 
deleterious in their design and tendency— you 
ought scrupulously to let alone. Suffer no 
morbid curiosity to tempt you to open the lids 
of such books. Can you take coals in your 
bosom and not be burned ? They will do you 
no good ; they can hardly fail to do you much 
harm. If you inhale their destructive miasms, 
your whole soul will be withered and blasted by 
the poisonous touch. They breed corruption, 
they engender pestilence, they impregnate with 
death. 

But there are other books which are simply 
worthless. They do not pay for the time it 
takes to read them. Such, in the main, are 
works of fiction. Life is too short, and the 
hours of probation are too precious to be wasted 
on such trash as are most romances. If not 
decidedly immoral in their tendencies, they are, 
at least, productive of no good. They leave 
behind no stores of mental wealth, they inspire 
no great purpose of beneficence, they kindle no 
quenchless desire for purity, they excite no 
aspirations for a higher life, and they produce 



RECREATIONS. 



115 



no results whatever which are of a character to 
be desired. 

Let your books be well chosen, and then 
make them your companions and friends. They 
will explain to you the mysteries of the Word 
of God; they will exhibit his wisdom and 
goodness as seen in all his works, from the 
tiny leaf or insignificant worm, to the mighty 
orbs wheeled through the heavens; they will 
acquaint you with the teachings of philosophy, 
and with all the speculations, curious and rec- 
ondite, of the human mind; they will picture 
all the past, with its grand historic dramas and 
its stupendous revolutions, on the living can- 
vas of your glowing imagination; and they 
will touch your heart with Divine ravishment, 
as you listen to those songs of genius, which, 
like the music of the spheres, have kept time 
with the revolving centuries, and grown more 
and more accordant with angelic symphonies. 

But there are hours of weariness and weak- 
ness when books will seem too formidable for 
purposes of recreation. Music is then a de- 
lightful resource. It creeps o'er our senses 
like a spell, and steals away our sadness ere 
we are aware. It is a sweet,, oblivious antidote 



116 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



for human sorrows. If Orpheus's lute, as we 
read in the fable, was strung vfith poet's sin- 
ews, and, with its golden touch, could " soften 
steel and stones;" if lost spirits can move with 
charmed feet, as Milton says, 

" In perfect phalanx, to the Dorian mood 
Of flutes and soft recorders 

if tumultuous assemblages can be hushed into 
silence, and charmed into decorum by the mel- 
lifluous strains of some sweet-throated canta- 
trice; if the " spirit-stirring drum and the ear- 
piercing fife " can " stiffen the sinews, summon 
up the blood/' and make men " imitate the ac- 
tion of the tiger " — then, for all the purposes of 
recreation, we may be sure there is sufficient 
power in music — in its "concord of sweet 
sounds"— to bring rest to the weary body, re- 
freshment to the exhausted mind, and to the 
desponding spirit the ecstasy of joy. 

A few choice friends, " smit with the love of 
sacred song," assembling at the twilight hour, 
when labor and study must cease, will furnish 
to each other such calm and hallowed diver- 
sion, as will cling to the memory when many 
years have flown. 

Let me sketch from real life a scene of 



RECREATIONS. 



117 



other days. It is a Winter's night. The wind 
wails bitterly without, and clouds have dark- 
ened the sky ; but the coals glow brightly on 
the hearth-stone, and gayly dance the shadows 
on the parlor wall, as forms of youth and 
beauty gather around the music-stand to sing 
the songs of Zion. 

" They chant their artless notes in simple guise, 
They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim ; 

Perhaps Dundee's wild warbling measures rise, 
Or plaintive Martyrs, worthy of the name, 

Or noble Elgin 

or that grand old tune with which Luther 
stirred the fires of the great Reformation. The 
scene has past. Fortune has widely scattered 
that joyful group, and "the mossy marbles 
press" on many lips which that night were 
eloquent with song. But the memory of that 
hour, wakened in far-distant places, and amidst 
the visions of death, never shot a pang through 
the heart, or excited one bitter reflection— it 
was such recreation as God, and conscience, 
and reason could approve. 

Another source of lawful and pleasant amuse- 
ment is the society of children. It is an evil 
and a wrong of American social life, that 



118 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



adults live so much, by themselves, while chil- 
dren are banished to the nursery. The little 
ones need all that their quick observation will 
learn in the presence of mature wisdom and 
wit ; and men of thought and care, in the full 
flush of self-reliant manhood, will, in turn, find 
both pleasure and profit in free and unre- 
strained intercourse with children and youth. 
To secure the largest benefit from this inter- 
course, one must be a child again. He must 
take the position of his young associates, share 
their thoughts and feelings, mingle in their 
sports and pastimes, laugh and romp with the 
rest, take his turn at the " daring jump " and 
the "breathless swing," catch beetles and chase 
butterflies, forgetting all about his dignity and 
the proprieties of his social position. If he will 
thus identify himself with the great community 
of childhood, many cheerful faces will greet his 
vision, many happy eye-glances will dart, like 
rays of light, into his soul, and many pleasant 
voices will make music in his heart. This is 
not all. He will find that his little companions 
are earth's profoundest teachers ; that they 
have the clearest recognition of truth and 
purity; that they are the keenest censors of 



RECREATIONS. 



119 



injustice and wrong ; that their quaint thoughts, 
bursting forth now and then like buds in the 
Springtime, are fresh, original, and invaluable; 
that their feelings and fancies are often truly 
poetic and beautiful; and that, in a word, as 
Wordsworth has expressed it, " heaven lies 
around us in our infancy." As no man can re- 
ceive the kingdom of God except it be as a 
little child, it is not wise to neglect the living 
types of that faith, and trust, and confidence 
through which the soul attains the proof of son- 
ship, and the sweet assurance of a Father's 
love. Worn and weary in life's battle, and 
seeking rest and refreshment, let us not neg- 
lect or despise this cheap, healthful, and in- 
structive source of recreation and happiness. 

There are places of amusement to which, my 
dear young converts, you can not consistently 
go, and devices of worldly men to invest with 
some attractions their sinful courses, with which, 
as Christians, you can have no fellowship. You 
will never be found at the theater, the billiard 
table, or the bowling saloon, or commingling 
with the gay waltzers in their bewildering dis- 
sipations. If any plead for the lawfulness of 
these worldly diversions, it is a sufficient an- 



120 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



swer that they can not be used in the name of 
Christ — that God's blessing could not be sought 
on the hour spent at the opera or the dance, 
and that no Christian would wish to die in such 
a place, justly fearing that God's angels would 
not be present to convey him home. It is a 
trick of the present age to cover over the de- 
formities of sin, link some purpose of charity 
with the godless carousal, borrow the sanction 
of some Christian name, and, by these specious 
pretexts, attract unwary souls from their non- 
compliant position of integrity and virtue. Let 
young Christians beware. These are the wreck- 
er's false lights, which will lead you, not to the 
secure haven, but upon the hidden rocks, and 
to inevitable destruction. Thousands who have 
listened to these siren voices of earthly pleas- 
ure, who have been allured from their onward 
course by pleasant islands, fragrant with spice 
and musical with the song of birds, have been 
"despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss" — 
stranded on a bleak and barren shore, and left 
to perish in their miserable condition. When 
the gay party or the brilliant soiree invites 
your presence, pause and ask yourself these 
questions : Would my Master have gone, and 



RECREATIONS. 



121 



shall I have his smile and approbation while 
mingling in those pleasure- seeking groups? 
Will my Christian character be respected in 
that place of festivity, and will the world judge 
that I am acting in accordance with my re- 
ligious professions? Shall I leave that place 
of amusement possessed of the same peace and 
joy, and with the same blessed consciousness 
of a Savior's presence and love, which I now 
feel? or shall I sacrifice the choicest treasures 
of my heart on those flower-wreathed shrines 
of fashionable dissipation? 

A young lady, who is an acquaintance of the 
writer, was asked, while gliding through the 
mazes of the dance, if she was, as had been re- 
ported, a member of a Christian Church ? And 
when an affirmative response was given, received, 
at once, this stinging rebuke, "Then why are 
you here?" There are volumes of instruction 
in this simple incident. 

Alas ! how many have spent the night in 
guilty mirth, only to realize, with the breaking 
of the day, that sad experience of grief and 
shame which a popular poet has described with 
exquisite beauty and pathos! The dewy air 
and the pearly sky chided his folly, the cold, 



122 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



gray morn rebuked his revelry, and lie recalls 
the fact that his mother's tears were stirred by 
his forgetful hours. And while listening to the 
harp and horn, and gazing on the waltzers near 
and far, he breathes out thus his song : 

" The stars melt in a brighter fire — 
The dew, in sunshine, leaves the flowers, 
They from their watch in light retire, 

While we in sadness pass from ours. 



The lamps and flowers are bright as yet, 
And lips beneath more bright than they; 

How can a scene so fair beget 
The mournful thoughts we bear away ? 



But I have long a loiterer been 
In haunts where Joy is said to be ; 

And though with Peace I enter in, 
The nymph comes never forth with me I" 

Too often has the youthful disciple, attracted 
to some place of worldly amusement, returned 
at the still hour of night to his quiet chamber, 
with no disposition to pray, with a conscious 
sense of degradation, and with a painful con- 
viction of the Divine displeasure troubling his 
heart. One such experience ought to suffice. 
But too frequently a single taste intoxicates, 
and the soul, maddened with the delirious 



/ 



RECREATIONS. 123 

draught, seeks again and again the haunts of 
merriment and song, and plunges into the 
wildest dissipation. Such has been the fate of 
multitudes who have learned too late that they 
have given up peace of conscience, the joyful 
assurance of a Savior's love, and a hope of 
heaven, for that which glittered only to betray, 
which was exuberant with promise, but meager 
in fulfillment, which mocked the soul with 
illusions, and left it to perish in the bitterness 
of despair. 

As you are resolved to maintain inflexibly 
your faith and loyalty, and to abide steadfast 
in God's service till you obtain the final 
victory, you will, of course, shun all those 
places of diversion, which are undisguisedly 
worldly in their spirit, and evil in their tenden- 
cies. If you are in danger at all, it is from 
those amusements which have received the sanc- 
tion of many professedly Christian people; and 
of which, some who are in positions of respecta- 
bility and it may be office-bearers in the 
Church, have spoken in terms of approval. 

Beware how you are influenced by these 
considerations. There are many bearing the 
Christian name, who are unquestionably in the 



124 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



broad way to perdition. And the Teachers of 
the Church, if they speak not in accordance 
with the Divine oracles, are to be disregarded. 

One is your example, even Christ. 

" The world is still deceived with ornajnent. 
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, 
But, being seasoned with a gracious voice, 
Obscures the show of evil ? In religion, 
What damned error, but some sober brow 
W T ill bless it, and approve it with a text, 
Hiding the grossness with fair ornament? 
There is no vice so simple but assumes 
Some mark of virtue on its outward parts." 

Ought you not to expect that your religious 
life must rise above the standard of public 
opinion, even in a Christian community, if it 
abides the searchings of the last day? Or will 
it be an occasion of regret in time of sickness, 
or when the shadows of the final hour gather 
around you, that you have visited so few places 
of sinful amusement, taken part in so few 
scenes of maddening mirth, or known so little 
of the world's round of dissipation ? 

Let me also suggest, that if your experience 
be real— if your soul feasts on the manna of a 
Savior's love — you will have little relish for 
recreations which are even of a doubtful char- 



RECREATIONS. 



125 



acter, and little inclination to mingle in the fes- 
tivities of the worldly-minded. 

" As by the light of opening day 
The stars are all concealed, 
So earthly pleasures fade away, 
When Jesus is revealed. " 

The period of relaxation and diversion is 
always one of comparative exposure. Occupa- 
tion precludes, in many instances, the successful 
approach of the tempter. Labor is a great 
exorcist. Nothing besides prayer casts out so 
many devils as work. But when the hour of 
recreation comes, we lay aside this defensive 
armor. We are more likely now, than when 
engaged in our usual avocations, to speak the 
unguarded word, or perform the unadvised act, 
which will lead us into the bitter pathway of 
the transgressor. We must go, then, even to 
our diversions, in the spirit of watchfulness and 
prayer; so shall we mingle profit with our 
pleasures, and obtain an increase of spiritual 
power, as well as rest and refreshment, from 
these lawful recreations. 

" If Thou these blessings give, 
And thou our portion be, 
All worldly joys we '11 gladly leave, 
To find our heaven in thee." 



126 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XII. 

OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 

Christianity has always encountered the 
opposition of the world. Its great Founder 
was ignominiously crucified. Its most illus- 
trious prophets and ministers have been as- 
sailed, imprisoned, and murdered ; and all those 
in every age, who have lived " godly in Christ 
Jesus/' have suffered some measure of persecu- 
tion. Our Savior instructed his disciples that 
they should have tribulation in the world, that 
they should be brought before kings and gov- 
ernors for his name's sake, and that destroying 
their lives would be esteemed a service done to 
God and religion. His predictions were speed- 
ily accomplished. Every indignity, outrage, 
and cruelty which the ingenuity of men or 
devils could devise, was visited upon his unof- 
fending disciples. The pathway of the Church, 
from the dawn of the Christian era to the pres- 
ent time, has been lighted by the baleful fires 
of persecution, and in every age some truly- 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 127 



heroic souls have won the imperishable crown 
of martyrdom. We are favored with more 
peaceful times, and are protected by the civil 
power in the enjoyment of our Christian privi- 
leges ; but human nature has undergone no ma- 
terial change, and the world is still opposed to 
the religion of Jesus Christ. The same rancor- 
ous hostility toward God, which prompted the 
rejection and crucifixion of the Prince of Life, 
consigned men and women to imprisonment, 
exile, and death for the faith of the Gospel, con- 
ceived the exquisite tortures of the Inquisition, 
produced the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and 
kindled the fires of Smithfield, still bums with 
malignant energy in every depraved soul. 

This opposition, however, is excited only by a 
Christianity which is spiritual and aggressive. 
A Church may be orthodox in her creed, im- 
posing in her ritual services, and earnestly de- 
voted to those forms of worship which are de- 
signed to magnify and honor the Savior of the 
world, and still be looked upon with a certain 
degree of favor by men who are strangers and 
enemies to the covenant of Christ's blood. 
But an evangelical Church— a Church which re- 
bukes fashionable and profitable sins— a Church 



128 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



which assails the iniquity of cherished organi- 
zations and established institutions— a Church 
which insists on holiness and beneficence as pre- 
essential to a glorious immortality — a Church 
which seeks enlargement and prosperity only 
through the subjugation of the world to Jesus 
Christ, and aims in all her movements to con- 
vince, awaken, and convert souls — such a Church 
will often have to breast the mighty surges — 
dark, desolating, and fearful— of earth and helL 
Just as the Church approaches the apostolic 
model, and becomes revolutionary in her spirit 
and action, seeking the extirpation of sin and 
the inauguration and triumphant establishment 
of the peace and purity of the Gospel, does 
she experience the strength and venom of this 
infernal opposition. 

Marvel not, therefore, my young brethren, 
if the world hate you — it hated your Master 
before it hated you. The scorn and derision 
heaped upon your Christian name is a compli- 
ment to your integrity. If you were of the 
world, you would enjoy its smiles and approba- 
tion. It is because you are saved out of the 
world— because your spirituality rebukes its 
pride and wickedness — because your faithful 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 



129 



admonitions and earnest prayers disturb its 
dreams of opulence and ambition, that you are 
made the victim of its malignity and meanness. 
Do not, then, be discouraged because of the 
opposition you encounter. It might be more 
pleasant to float with the current ; for, as the 
poets have feigned, the descent into hell is 
easy, while he who seeks the immortal shores 
struggles against both wind and tide. And it 
is only the mere form of Christianity, a Chris- 
tianity emasculated and spurious, destitute of 
social power and reformative energy — confined 
to the Sabbath services, and never seen in the 
market-place, or known at the ballot-box — a 
Christianity without any thing aggressive in 
spirit or heroic in performance — that, "in the 
corrupted currents of this world," is esteemed 
worthy of respect and approbation. 

The opposition which you meet may prove an 
advantage to you in many respects. It will de- 
velop a class of Christian virtues which seldom 
spring up in the sunshine of prosperity. Faith, 
patience, forbearance, heavenly-mindedness, trust 
in Providence, and sympathy with the sorrow- 
ing, are perfections which blossom and mature 

amidst clouds and darkness. The forest tree, 
9 



130 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



which stands alone and exposed to the sweep 
of the fierce winds, will strike its roots deep, and 
spread out its branches in every direction, grow- 
ing more strong and beautiful despite, and often 
as the result of, storm and tempest. So, many 
a Christian man, who has known the patient 
discipline of adversity, can say, " It is good for 
me that I have been afflicted/' that I have 
been deprived of every earthly dependence, left 
without human support or sympathy and con- 
strained to stretch my suppliant hands to 
Heaven for that strength and consolation which 
only religion can afford. The most beautiful 
exhibitions of Christian character the world has 
ever witnessed have been produced by opposi- 
tion and hatred. " Certainly, virtue," as Bacon 
has said, " is like precious odors, most fragrant 
where they are incensed or crushed." Meek- 
ness, humility, and love, which have charmed 
and subdued the obdurate souls of persecutors 
and tyrants, have been born of contempt, op- 
probrium, and falsehood. In the lowest walks 
of life, in homes of poverty, within prison walls, 
and even on the bloody scaffold, Christian 
graces have bloomed in such Divine splendor as 
to remind men of those amaranthine flowers 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 131 



which " flung odors " on the gentle airs of para- 
dise. 

Fear not, young converts, the clamor of your 
enemies. The world may frown, and threaten, 
and proscribe, but it can not permanently in- 
jure you. "Who shall harm you, if you be 
followers of that which is good?" It may 
seem that invincible forces are arrayed against 
you ; but " greater is He that is in you, than 
he that is in the world." If your faith grasp 
the promise, it will prove triumphant ; " for 
this is the victory that overcometh the world, 
even our faith." As long as you are true to 
yourself, no adverse power of earth or hell will 
be able to destroy your peace, or disturb your 
communion with the great Head of the Church. 

"Virtue may be assailed, but never hurt ; 
Surprised by unjust force, but not inthralled." 

If you fear God, you need not fear any thing 
besides. If you please him, you will secure 
every thing which your soul requires. It is 
said that the benevolent and devoted Mary 
Lyon, who was the founder of the Mount Hoiy- 
oke Female Seminary, and who consecrated her 
best years to the work of instructing the young, 



132 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



gave utterance, in the last public address which 
she delivered to the pupils of her beloved in- 
stitution, to the following noble sentiment, 
which the trustees afterward caused to be en- 
graved on her monument : " There is nothing in 
the universe that I fear, but that I shall not 
knoiv all my duty, or shall fail to do it" 

There is true Christian heroism expressed in 
the plainest Saxon ! These memorable words 
deserve to be inscribed on every heart, as with 
the point of a diamond ; they are sublime, and 
worthy of the Gospel. The soul which fears 
only that all of duty will not be known or 
done, has the great peace of God, and is estab- 
lished forever. The storms of worldly opposi- 
tion, vehemently beating upon such a soul, 
produce no more effect than the ocean billows, 
which dash against the rock-bound coast only 
to fall crestless and broken at its base. 

Let me urge you, then, to take for your 
motto those thrilling words which the Rev. 
Dudley A. Tyng sent back from the very con- 
fines of the eternal world to his brethren in 
the ministry — "Stand up for Jesus !" Though 
it require the sacrifice of social, position, of 
pleasant associations, of the golden fruits of 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WOULD. 



133 



opulence, of long-coveted distinctions, of a just 
and honorable fame — of home, and friends, and 
all things dear on earth — stand up for Jesus! 
Though a calculating, worldly wisdom should 
seek to turn you away from a crucified Savior; 
though cool, bloodless rationalism should deny 
his divinity, and philosophize his spiritual king- 
dom into a myth, or an abstraction ; though a 
bold, defiant, and blasphemous infidelity should 
attempt to crush his Gospel out of the earth — 
stand up for Jesus ! In the presence of your 
family and friends, in your workshop or place 
of business, in the social gathering where wit 
and beauty reign, in the political convention or 
caucus, in the Church " which He hath pur- 
chased with his own blood" — any where and 
every-where, at all times, and under all circum- 
stances, stand up for Jesus! 

Great will be your reward. For, when 
temptations assail, when trials hang heavily on 
your heart, when adversity darkens all your 
heavens, when friends take their departure si- 
multaneously with your wealth and honors, 
when sickness exhausts your mortal body and 
touches, even your soul with faintness inde- 
scribable, when you go through the valley and 



134 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



shadow of death, when you appear before the 
judgment-bar of God, then, in your time of 
extreme need and utter dependence, Jesus, the 
Lord of life and glory, will stand up for you ! 
" Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before 
men, him will I also confess before my Father 
which is in heaven." 

We are never called to make any real sacri- 
fices for God. Many things must be yielded, 
performed, and suffered; but the Most High 
does not receive gratuitous service from the 
meanest of his creatures. Business interests, 
social endearments, ease, honor, reputation— 
every thing must be held in subjection to the 
superior and ever-paramount claims of religion. 
But abundant compensation will follow such 
faith and obedience, on earth and in heaven. 
" Every one/' said Jesus, " that hath forsaken 
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or 
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my 
name's sake, shall receive a hundred-fold, and 
shall inherit everlasting life. 

Did the great apostle to the Gentiles make 
any real sacrifice when he exchanged Pharisa- 
ism for the Gospel of Christ? It is true that 
he turned away from wealth, and friends, and 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 135 



social distinctions, and public honors, and what- 
ever might have tempted his cupidity or his 
ambition. It is also true that he linked his 
name and destiny with that of a despised 
people ; that, for the sake of Christ, he " suf- 
fered the loss of all things;" that his labors 
were abundant, and his "stripes above meas- 
ure;" that he was beaten with rods, stoned, 
shipwrecked, imprisoned, and " in deaths oft ;" 
that he was in perils by land and by sea, in the 
city and in the wilderness, from robbers and 
from his own countrymen; that he prosecuted 
his mission " in weariness and painfulness, in 
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fast- 
ings often, in cold and nakedness;" and that, 
when he became " Paul the aged," and the 
crown of martyrdom was about to fall on his 
brow, "that which should accompany old age, 
as honor, love, obedience, troops of friends," he 
was so far from possessing, that when he first 
answered the bloodthirsty Nero, " no man stood 
with him, but all men forsook him," leaving 
him solitary, persecuted, and abandoned to his 
infamous doom of death. But did Paul mis- 
take the great end of existence? Or did he 
fail to realize the largest amount of earthly 



136 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



good? Do men live for happiness? Paul was 
happy. He affirms repeatedly, in the midst of his 
conflicts and trials, that he enjoyed the mightiest 
consolations. "I am filled with comfort, I am 
exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation/' 

Are men satisfied with illustrious and heroic 
achievements? This great apostle molded the 
character of the age in which he lived, and on 
its most enduring institutions left the impress 
of his own gigantic mind. The fruits of his 
ministry were in Damascus, in Jerusalem, in 
Ephesus, in Corinth, in Athens, and in Rome. 
The deserted synagogue of the Jew, and the 
crumbling temple of the Greek, alike sounded 
forth his praises. The triumphs of his zeal 
and genius were many and magnificent. He 
confounded the learned and astute rabbis, 
charmed by his eloquence the philosophers of 
Athens, and caused kings to tremble in his 
presence. 

Do men live to secure an immortality of 
fame? Judged by this standard, the career of 
Paul was a brilliant success. As Saul of Tar- 
3us, he would not have outlived the next gen- 
eration. His cotemporaries in sin, and pride, 
and persecution have long since been forgotten, 



/ 

OPPOSITION FROM THE "WORLD. 137 

or have escaped oblivion only to be infamous. 
But the name of this grand old Reformer can 
never perish from the kindly memories of men. 
It is written on the broad foundations of the 
Church of God; it is engraven on the whole 
splendid superstructure of our Christian civil- 
ization; and it will shine forth with increased 
brightness in the full, noontide blaze of the 
millennial glory. 

" Art builds on sand ; the works of pride, 
And human passion change and fall ; 

But that ivhich shares Vie life of God, 
With him survivet'h all.' 7 

Do you say that life is brief, that " there is 
a higher than happiness for which men ought 
to seek," that fame is an illusive dream— a 
laurel wreath bound on the brow of Death, and 
that judgment and eternity are the considera- 
tions which should determine the character of 
our probation? Then let the "chiefest" of the 
apostles be judged by this exalted standard. 
His whole Christian life was a preparation for 
the future hour. And when the time of his 
departure drew on, he looked back over the 
past with profound satisfaction, exclaiming in 
just and honest exultation, "I have fought a 



138 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



good fight, I have finished my course, I have 
kept the faith;" and then fixing his eyes on 
that immortal future, which had been the grand, 
inspiring motive of his whole career, he adds, 
in confident assurance, "Henceforth there is 
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which 
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at 
that day." 

Men have died on the field of battle, amidst 
shouts of victory, or in the Senate chamber, 
with the admiring gaze of a nation turned 
toward them — as Wolfe on the plains of Abra- 
ham, or the venerable sage of Quincy in the 
Hall of the House of Representatives- — ex- 
claiming, "We die content;" and the w r orld 
appreciates all that is memorable and heroic 
in such actions. But for sublime assurance, 
thrilling grandeur of utterance, and confident 
expectation of an immortal crown, this battle- 
shout of the great apostle, with which he stuns 
the ear of Death, and seems to rend the very 
heavens, is beyond comparison the most majes- 
tic, triumphant, and glorious, which ever re- 
sounded along the shores of the eternal wrorld. 

Did not such a life and such a death furnish 
more of happiness, of honor, and of substantial 



OPPOSITION FUOM THE WORLD. 



139 



wellbeing, than could have possibly resulted 
from a base submission to the forms and 
fashions of a corrupt age? And is not this 
true of every man, who, despite the world's 
dread frown, has maintained his faith and purity, 
and dared to live for God and the great here- 
after ? 

Does any one, on the contrary, ever think of 
wealth, or honor, or pleasures purchased by 
cowardly conformity, or mean, pusillanimous 
subjection to the demands of a wicked public 
opinion, without bitter self-loathing and con- 
demnation? 

There is a sad chapter in the career of 
another apostle which is pregnant with instruc- 
tion and admonition. He had been faithfully 
warned of approaching defection; but self-con- 
fident and presumptuous, he affirmed a con- 
stancy superior to that of the other disciples, 
and expressed his readiness to attend his Mas- 
ter to prison and to death. The time of trial 
soon came. A storm of worldly opposition 
burst like a thunder-gust upon the devoted 
heads of Christ's followers. They all forsook 
him and fled ; and he, who had been so loud in 
his protestations of fealty and love, repeatedly 



140 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



denied that he knew the man who stood con- 
demned and crowned with thorns in the judg- 
ment-hall of Pilate. "And the Lord turned 
and looked upon Peter." That look of tender 
rebuke, of offended love, and of infinite compas- 
sion, melted and subdued his proud, recreant 
heart, and going out, "he wept bitterly;" or, 
as Mark has expressed it, "when he thought 
thereon, he wept." The power of an awakened 
conscience is now experienced, and the memo- 
ries of other days are evoked. He recollects 
the hour when his brother Andrew, with a new^ 
and strange light beaming in his countenance, 
came and told him of the Messiah, and "brought 
him to Jesus." He remembers the miraculous 
draught of fishes, and his exclamation, "Depart 
from me, 0 Lord, for I am a sinful man !" the 
night of darkness and terror on storm-smitten 
Galilee, when Jesus came to his disciples, walk- 
ing on the sea, dispelling the gloom by the 
brightness of his appearing; the attempt to go 
to him on the water, when the winds were bois- 
terous, and "the breakers talked with death;" 
the strong hand which raised him up as he 
began to sink, and the tender expostulation, " 0 
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WOULD. 141 



He is reminded now that he was one of the fa- 
vored three who were present at the raising of 
the daughter of Jairus, when the voice of weep- 
ing and lamentation was changed to that of as- 
tonished joy, as Death was ignominiously driven 
from the palace of the Jewish ruler, and the ten- 
der maiden restored to the fond embrace of pa- 
rental love ; one of the three who beheld the 
glory of their Lord on the Mount of Transfigu- 
ration, when " his face did shine as the sun, and 
his raiment was white as the light; and when, 
confused and enraptured by the Divine mani- 
festation, they wist not what they said, though 
they desired to build tabernacles, and to abide in 
that resplendent presence ; and one of the three 
who were permitted to witness the mysterious 
agony of the Garden, when their Lord " began 
to be sorrowful and very heavy" — " sorrowful 
even unto death," when he prayed, "let this 
cup pass from me/' falling on his face and 
crying, " 0, my Father !" and when " his sweat 
was, as it were, great drops of blood," forced 
from every pore- by the inconceivable anguish 
of his soul. Peter thought on these things — 
thought of the many proofs he had received of 
his Master's love, of the late outburst of his 



142 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



fiery zeal, of his grievous moral defection, of 
the base denial of his adorable Lord, of that 
look, which blended the compassion of a Savior 
with the majesty of a God, and he " wept bit- 
terly," in the very abandonment of grief, and 
in the utter wretchedness of spiritual desola- 
tion. 

Such are the fruits of cowardice and apos- 
tasy, even when the grace of penitential tears is 
experienced. How much more fearful the con- 
dition of the soul, when the grieved and out- 
raged Spirit returns no more with its kindly in- 
spirations of contrition and prayer ! 

Let these illustrations, young disciple, bring 
to your heart admonition, instruction, and en- 
couragement. 

If in the hour of trial you ignominiously 
yield to the tempter ; if you cower before a cor- 
rupt public opinion; if you seek the honor 
which the world has to bestow, rather than that 
which comes from God, then you will inevitably 
reap a harvest of shame, agony, and despair. 
But if you confront, with, a valorous soul, the 
opposition and persecution which may come 
upon you from earth and hell, then, like those 
giants of Gospel grace, who contended and tri- 



OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD. 143 



umphed in other days, you may obtain peace, 
assurance, and final victory. "Think it not 
strange," therefore, "concerning the fiery trial 
which is to try you, as though some strange 
thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch 
as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering; that, 
when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be 
glad also with exceeding joy." 

" Blest Savior ! introduced by thee, 
Our race have we begun ) 
And crowned with victory, at thy feet 
We '11 lay our trophies down." 



144 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TEMPTATION. 

Temptation is one of the incidents of a life 
of probation. We can not be proved except we 
are tried. It requires blandishments, terrors, 
and Satanic arts to enable us to determine 
whether there is any strength in our virtue, 
or constancy in our affections. Subjection to 
temptation is, with the people of God, a univer- 
sal experience. All are approached, flattered, 
and assaulted by the archfiend. This is, more- 
over, a feature of Christian experience which is 
exhibited in every stage of our spiritual de- 
velopment. The power of temptation is felt by 
him who is strongest to do battle for God, and 
who, amidst the fervors and splendors of life's 
high noon, wages unweariedly the glorious com- 
bat. The veteran of many years, who has well- 
nigh finished his Christian course, finds himself 
assailed at the very gates of heaven. It is no 
marvel, then, that the convert is attacked by the 
enemies of Christ, or that they seek to obscure 



TEMPTATION. 



145 



his bright morning with clouds of doubt and ap- 
prehension. The prince of darkness would, if 
possible, strangle in his very cradle the new- 
born child of God. And if he fail in this dia- 
bolic attempt, he will take every advantage of 
the ignorance and inexperience of the youthful 
disciple to disturb his happiness, destroy his 
confidence, alienate his affections, and loosen his 
hold on eternal life. Temptation, therefore, is 
a matter which the convert must early con- 
sider, and for which he must be thoroughly 
prepared. 

The word temptation is employed in the 
Holy Scriptures to mean either a subjection to 
trial, designed to discover character and improve 
virtue, or a solicitation to sin, which, however 
disguised, is intended to betray and ruin the 
soul. 

In the former sense God is said to have 

tempted Abraham, when he required him to 

present as a burnt-offering his only son Isaac; 

but in the latter sense, "no man can say when 

he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God 

can not be tempted with evil, neither tempteth 

he any man/' 

The devil is the chief tempter. He began 
10 



146 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



his slimy work in Eden, and he will doubtless 
continue it till the seed of the woman shall ef- 
fectually bruise the head of the serpent. He 
assaulted the immaculate Jesus, he entered into 
Judas Xscariot, and induced him to betray his 
Lord, and he persuaded Ananias and Sapphira 
" to lie to the Holy Ghost/' filling their hearts 
with covetousness and falsehood. He is the 
great enemy of God and mail, the acknowledged 
head of those principalities, and powers, and 
" rulers of the darkness of this world/ 7 who 
are incessantly plotting to rob God of his 
glory, and men of their souls. He is able to 
transform himself into an angel of light, and to 
beguile his deluded followers with visions of 
pleasure, and profit, and power, which are 
never to be realized. He is described in the 
Scriptures as a destroyer, an accuser, a de- 
ceiver, a liar, a tormentor, and a murderer. 
But "that old serpent called the devil and 
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world/' is 
not the only Abaddon. Whoever solicits to 
sin is a tempter, and whatever inclines us to 
transgress God's law is a temptation. " Some 
men/' says Richard Watson, " are public tempt- 
ers — tempters of a nation, of an age to bad 



TEMPTATION. 



147 



feelings, principles, and practices. A Voltaire 
is a tempter by his wit ; a Hume, by sophistry ; 
a Rousseau, by eloquence; a Byron, by the 
splendors of poetic genius. Every bad man in 
an elevated situation is a public tempter." 

In such a world, then, where our chief " ad- 
versary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh 
about seeking whom he may devour" — in 
which there are so many men who are influen- 
tial and wicked, brilliant and corrupt, prosti- 
tuting great powers to the Satanic work of ruin- 
ing their fellows— where there are found so 
many customs, practices, and fashions which 
are calculated to entrap unguarded souls, we 
may not expect to escape temptation. 

Solicitations to evil will meet us on every 
hand, and a thousand voices will beckon us 
away from holiness and God. 

Wealth, clad in gorgeous robes, glittering 
with pearls and diamonds, will proffer us gold 
and gems, houses and lands, and treasures of 
every sort, on the simple condition that we 
bow down at the shrine of Mammon. Pleasure, 
radiant and beautiful, will touch with enchanted 
fingers her harp of a thousand strings, and 
seek to allure us, with "many a winding 'bout 



148 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



of linked sweetness/' to her halls of beauty, 
merriment, and song, where a betrayed Savior 
is sacrificed on an altar garlanded with flowers, 
while „sweet incense burns to the God of rev- 
elry. Ambition, w T ith front and crest of lord- 
liest mien, will dazzle our eyes with wreaths of 
laurel, allure us to his thrones of grandeur and 
power, and seizing the trump of fame, will 
promise all who become his worshipers to blow 
for them a blast so loud and strong that it 
shall send their names resounding through the 
immortal ages. 

We shall find something in our hearts which 
will incline us to yield to these seducing in- 
fluences. The spell of temptation will often 
hold us like a charm. The suggestions of 
Satan will stir every element of depravity which 
may still remain in our renewed but not wholly- 
sanctified natures. A strong proclivity toward 
that which is wrong will be manifested. Appe- 
tites and passions will clamor for indulgence 
and gratification. The flesh will lust against 
the spirit. The eager desire, the yearning af- 
fection, and the habit of years may all harmo- 
nize with the drawings and allurings of the 
tempter. 



TEMPTATION. 



149 



Eeason and conscience will remonstrate; 
faith, loyalty, and rectitude will rise up in op- 
position; the longings of our immortal natures 
will go out for holiness and heaven; and the 
din of worldiiness, the siren songs of pleasure, 
and the myriad voices of sensuality and sin 
will sometimes be hushed into silence and re- 
pose by the calm, majestic, and authoritative 
utterances of the Spirit of God. 

The young convert must not be astonished or 
alarmed at this warfare. It will characterize his 
whole Christian career, raging with more or less 
fierceness till the final victory is obtained. In 
solitude and in society, at home and abroad, in 
health and in sickness, in the market-place 
and in the sanctuary, always, and every-where, 
he will be exposed to temptation. But the 
Scriptures, let it be carefully observed, make 
a broad distinction between being tempted, and 
entering into temptation. From the former we 
can not escape ; but the latter is unnecessary 
and wicked. The Savior authorizes us to pray, 
"Lead us not into temptation;" that is, when 
we are assailed, do not suffer us to be overcome. 
"Watch and pray," is his faithful admonition, 
" that ye enter not into temptation." Knowing 



150 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



your exposure to the assaults of the powers 
of darkness, prepare your souls by watchfulness 
and supplication for resistance and triumph. The 
apostle affirms that "they that will be rich fall 
into temptation and a snare ; ? ' they fall plump 
into it; for the desire and purpose to be rich 
is itself a temptation ; and yielding to this, they 
are led away by many foolish and hurtful lusts, 
beneath the dignity of their being, pernicious to 
health and happiness, and drowning the soul in 
destruction and perdition. 

To be able clearly to determine when tempta- 
tion becomes sin, is a matter of great import- 
ance, though of extraordinary difficulty. It is 
certain that if we do what God has plainly 
forbidden, or refuse to do what he has distinctly 
required, we have been subdued by the tempter, 
and become transgressors. " He that com- 
mitteth sin is of the devil," but " whosoever is 
born of God sinneth not." Every actual trans- 
gression brings the soul into condemnation, and 
provokes the Divine displeasure. But actions 
spring from desires and purposes, and these 
likewise have a moral character. The thoughts, 
and feelings, and inclinations of the heart, 
which are discerned only by the eye of God, 



/ 



TEMPTATION. 



151 



are affected by temptation, are susceptible of 
various types and tendencies, and must be care- 
fully considered and weighed, in order to enable 
us to form an intelligent judgment of our 
•spiritual condition. 

It may be true, as Milton sings, that 

" Evil into the mind of God or man 
May come and go, so unapproved," 

as to leave "no spot or stain behind;" but, 
'when the impure thought is welcomed > the 
unholy desire cherished, and the rebellious pur- 
pose formed, it needs not the expression of 
word or act to consummate the sin, and bring 
the soul into condemnation. Its purity is al- 
ready stained, its integrity compromised, and its 
innocence despoiled. The temptation has pre- 
vailed, and hell has triumphed. "Every man," 
saith the apostle, "is tempted"— that is, enters 
into temptation — "when he is drawn away of 
his own lust, and enticed." He is turned 
from the right course — from virtue and real 
good, by some attractive object on which he 
fixes his heart, and is thus entrapped. "In the 
progress of the temptation," says Mr. Wesley, 
"he catches at the bait:' referring to the pisca- 



152 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



tory metaphor contained in the original word, 
He is like the foolish fish, which, seizing the 
fly, swallows also the hook. 

In the judgment of Dr. Hales, the great 
dramatic bard has furnished the finest comment 
on these words in the whole range of literature, 
in that well-known passage: 

" 0 cunning enemy, that to catch a saint, 
With saints dost bait thy hook ! Most dangerous 
Is that temptation that doth goad us on to sin, 
In loving virtue V* 

This, then, is the usual process through 
which the soul passes, when temptation trans- 
forms innocence and purity into guilt and 
corruption. An attractive but forbidden object 
is presented to the mind; the thoughts are 
occupied in considering its charms; a desire to 
possess and enjoy it is kindled and cherished; 
and, the will consenting thereto, the purpose is 
formed to attain the coveted possession. The 
iniquitous word and deed now follow, as nat- 
urally as the spark follows the collision of flint 
and steel. Then when lust hath conceived, it 
bringeth forth sin ; and sin, when it is finished, 
bringeth forth death." Let the young disciple be 
admonished. He must mark the first risings of 



TEMPTATION. 



153 



desire, hold every emotion and passion in calm 
subjection to reason and conscience, suppress 
all unholy imaginings, and bring "into cap- 
tivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," 
if he would keep his heart pure, and successfully 
resist all the assaults of the prince of the 
powers of darkness. 

" The beginning of temptation," said Thomas 
a Kempis, "is inconstancy of mind, and little 
faith." And an experienced Christian remarks, 
" I have been suffering all the past week from 
want of resisting temptation in the beginning.'" 

We conclude this chapter with some general 
observations, which may still further illustrate 
the subject, and furnish some additional motives 
for resistance and steadfastness. 

The strongest temptations are no warrant for 
the commission of sin. 

No matter how great or how severe the press- 
ure brought to bear upon you, sin is your own 
act. It is not in the power of earth or hell 
to force you to transgress. Your will must con- 
sent, your heart must yield, and your free, 
rational soul must purpose the sinful act, or 
passion can not dominate over reason, and 
iniquity triumph over the truth. Never plead, 



154 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



then, the strength of temptation as an excuse 
for your omission of duty or positive transgres- 
sions. There is, and there can be, no excuse for 
sin. It is, in its very nature, inexcusable, and 
must be confessed and abandoned. 

Bo not be discouraged on account of tempta- 
tions. 

The experience of them may be painful, but 
they have no power to bring darkness or con- 
demnation upon the soul. "Now for a sea- 
son" — and how brief a season is even the whole 
period of human life ! — "if need be" — for your 
Heavenly Father will not always judge it nec- 
essary — " ye are in heaviness "—that is, in 
great trouble or sorrow — " through manifold 
temptations." But "the trial of your faith" 
will be productive of many advantageous results, 
and will "be found unto praise, and honor, and 
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 

The best men who have ever lived have been 
grievously assaulted by the infernal powers. 
Paul, and Luther, and Baxter, and Bunyan, and 
Wesley, and Fletcher, and multitudes of others, 
who have been honored in the Church, and use- 
ful in the world, have affirmed the fierceness and 
severity of their temptations. It is enough for 



TEMPTATION. 



155 



the disciple to be as his master ; and the arch- 
fiend did not hesitate to assail the blessed Savior 
himself. He " was in all points tempted like as 
we are, yet without sin;" and we are also in- 
formed that he " suffered, being tempted." The 
conflict was so terrible and protracted, that it 
wrung with anguish the Redeemer's soul. We 
may be assured, therefore, that temptation is 
not sin, and that it is no indication of the 
Divine displeasure. But as the strength of 
virtue is according to its power to resist and 
overcome evil, we are able, in the time of con- 
flict, to estimate the force, stability, and magni- 
tude of our Christian characters. If we are 
easily jostled or perturbed by temptations, then 
our strength is small. But if our confidence re- 
mains unshaken, our enjoyment undisturbed, 
and our purpose of heroic endurance immovably 
fixed, it indicates harmonious development and 
gigantic proportions. 

You have also this reason for encouragement : 
" There hath no temptation taken you but such 
as is common to man"— that is, proportioned to 
human strength, and not beyond man's ability 
to resist or endure — " but God is faithful, who 
will not suffer you to be tempted above that 



156 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



ye are able ; but will, with the temptation, also 
make a way to escape, that ye may be able 
to bear it." The word, says Mr. Wesley, 
" which we render a way to escape, is extremely 
significant. The meaning of it is nearly ex- 
pressed by the English word out-let; but more 
exactly by the old word out-gate, still frequently 
used by the Scottish writers. It literally means 
a way out. And this God will either find or 
make ; which he that hath all wisdom, as well as 
all power in heaven and earth, can never be at 
a loss how to do." Moreover, he has promised ; 
and as he is faithful, he will not suffer us to 
be so tempted, either as it respects force or con- 
tinuance, that we may not patiently endure, and 
certainly triumph. " The Lord knoweth how to 
deliver the godly out of temptations." He has 
the power, the means, and the disposition to ac- 
complish this result. In short, God will so 
overrule every event, so richly communicate 
grace and strength, so manifestly interpose his 
providence, and so effectually restrain the cruel 
power of our adversary, that, if we are true to 
ourselves, and make the utmost effort of which 
we are capable, we shall not be hurt by any 
trial or temptation, but shall be more than suffi- 



TEMPTATION. 



157 



cient for all our enemies. " Count it," there- 
fore, " all joy when ye fall into clivers tempta- 
tions;" they will work out for you faith, pa- 
tience, and many Christian virtues. They will 
furnish you with an opportunity to demonstrate 
your devotion to your Lord and Master. 
Hence, the apostolic declaration, " Blessed is 
the man that endureth temptation ; for when 
he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, 
which the Lord hath promised to them that 
love him." His patient endurance of life-long 
trials, and ever-recurring temptations, prove 
the sincerity and greatness of his love ; for 
"love endureth all things;" consequently, he 
is entitled to the fulfillment of the promise, and 
the crown of life falls on his immortal brow. 

The means by which temptations may be re- 
sisted and overcome are the Word of God and 
prayer. 

The armor of truth, on the right hand and on 
the left, will render us so invincible to all the 
infernal forces, that the fiery darts of the 
enemy will not be able to reach our souls. 
The sword of the Spirit which we are to wield 
against our foes is the Word of God. We must 
follow the example of Jesus, who, when vehe- 



158 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



mently pressed by " hell's dread emperor/' an- 
swered all his suggestions out of the Holy 
Scriptures, till the omnipotent "It is written" 
prevailed, and the " archangel fallen " was con- 
founded and overwhelmed. Happy is he who, 
in the hour of temptation, finds that his soul is 
rich in the knowledge of the Scriptures, that he 
can take shelter beneath its precious promises, 
and that its precepts arm him with Divine 
power! "Thy word/' said the wise man, 
" have I &d in my heart, that I might not sin 
against thee." Satan is baffled and irretriev- 
ably defeated when he finds the heart preoccu- 
pied with the truth of God. " Thou, through 
thy commandments," is the affirmation of the 
Psalmist, " hast made me wiser than my ene- 
mies," and "X have not departed from thy 
judgments ;" for " thy word is a lamp unto my 
feet, and a light unto my path," to guide me 
in the way of safety and success. 

If we would prevail over all the forces of 
earth and hell that seek our destruction, we 
must learn, in our time of need, to call earn- 
estly upon God for help and deliverance. 
There is an omnipotence in prayer which will 
give us the victory. " The Christian," says 



TEMPTATION. 



159 



Bunyan, " can best resist temptation when upon 
Ms knees ; for then is he strongest, when, dis- 
trusting his own strength, he Hakes hold of 
the strength of the Most High." 5 Let the 
young convert seek his closet when temptations 
rage, and present to the fiery darts of the 
wicked one his shield of faith, and he will 
abide in safety. Or let him learn, at all times 
and in all places, to uplift his soul in silent 
supplication, and, though no sound of devotion 
may be heard, the fervent breathing of the 
heart will rise like incense to a throne of 
grace, and make music in the ear of God. 
Satan can not overcome the truly-praying saint. 
No hellish arts can destroy his peace. All the 
promises of God's Word, all the helps of Di- 
vine grace, and, if need be, all the resources of 
Jehovah, belong to such a soul, and are pledged 
to secure his deliverance and triumph. " He 
shall dwell on high ; his place of defense shall 
be the munitions of rocks ; bread shall be given 
him ; his waters shall be sure." 

" I want a godly fear, 

A quick, discerning eye, 
That looks to Thee ichen sin is near, 
And sees the tempter fly." 



160 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



You may expect that the sharpest temptations 
will follow the clearest light and the strongest 
consolations. 

When Jesus had received the baptism of 
the Spirit, and the attestation of the Father, 
" This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased/' he was immediately driven into the 
wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. Paul, 
caught up into paradise, beheld the splendors of 
the third heaven, and heard unspeakable things, 
which it was not lawful for man to utter ; but 
the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, 
was sent thereafter to buffet him, lest he 
"should be exalted above measure through the 
abundance of the revelations" which had greeted 
his astonished vision. 

It is with all Christians as with Bunyan's pil- 
grim. He came to the palace Beautiful, held 
sweet discourse with Piety, Prudence, and 
Charity, found repose in the chamber of Peace, 
which " opened toward the sunrising," and 
caught some inspiring views of the Delectable 
Mountains and the land w r hich is called Ira- 
ni anuel's. But he could not remain in this 
delightful retreat, though his soul was greatly 
charmed. He goes forth to enter the valley 



TEMPTATION. 



161 



of Humiliation, into "which no man has ever 
willingly passed, to encounter dread Apollyon, 
>who, flapping his dragon-wings and belching out 
fire and smoke, assailed poor Christian with his 
flaming darts — and to traverse the valley of the 
shadow of death, in which there are snares, 
and traps, and pitfalls for unwary feet, and 
where satyrs, and gorgons, and despairing souls 
fill the darkness with groans, and howlings, and 
unutterable confusion. 

Such will frequently be your experience. 
The enrapturing vision of God, the delightful 
season of Christian communion, the unusual 
baptism of the Holy Spirit, will be followed 
often by conflicts and trials, most severe and 
protracted. If you endure these temptations, 
and draw nigh to God for strength and consola- 
tion, you will perceive beneath their dark dis- 
guise the forms of ministering angels. They 
are God's bright messengers, though they come 
to you sable-clad and with repulsive aspect, 
to bring you on your way to heaven. You 
have only to withstand and bear up bravely, to 
convert all these elements of opposition into re- 
sources of power. 

Nevertheless, you may sometimes be over- 



162 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



come. Some sudden temptation may surprise 
you, some prolonged assault may weary and ex- 
haust your soul, and all the circumstances of 
time, place, opportunity, and previous habit may 
combine to produce your defeat and humiliation. 
A Christian soldier, to be sure, never ought to 
be surprised by his enemy, and a soul will 
never faint or be discouraged which draws con- 
stant refreshment from the Fountain-head. But 
the painful fact is indisputable. You have en- 
tered into temptation. For a time you remain 
stupid and insensible in your sin. Tou are in- 
toxicated with pleasure, your greed is glutted 
with the gain you have secured, and you are 
blinded and deceived by that vailed sorceress 
whose voice is like the song of birds, but whose 
naked features are ugly as death. But reflec- 
tion and sobriety return. Tou see what you 
have done. You have betrayed your Master, 
you have grieved the Holy Spirit, you have 
brought a reproach on the cause of God, and 
darkness and condemnation on your own soul. 
You are filled vith shame, you groan in very 
bitterness of spirit, you look upon yourself 
with unspeakable loathing, you are bowed down 
to the earth with sorrow and discouragement. 



TEMPTATION. 



163 



Satan will whisper, "It is in vain that you 
endeavor to be a Christian; with your tem- 
perament, and in your circumstances, it is 
impossible. You had better give over the 
struggle. God will not hear you now, if you 
pray to him. Besides, you have no heart to 
pray. The Church has lost confidence in you. 
You can never hold up your head again in 
the assemblies of Zion. Come, go back into 
the world." If you listen to that voice you are 
ruined. It is the crowning temptation, the 
subtilest device of the devil. It is the way 
to hopeless apostasy, to the midnight dark- 
ness of death and hell. Hearken to that 
other voice, sounding in accents of melting 
mercy from the skies: "Return unto me, and 
I will return unto you, saith the Lord of 
hosts." Seek again the presence of your 
Savior. With tears of contrition, and in an 
agony of penitential grief, urge your suit once 
more at a throne of grace. The Lord will 
hear and restore your soul, will heal your 
backslidings, and make you strong to do and 
suffer all his blessed will. 



164 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

BUSINESS PURSUITS. 

" Temporal concerns/' says Mr. Wesley, 
"are a cross to them who are newly filled 
with the love of God;' 7 but Christianity was 
never designed to countenance idleness or im- 
providence. The young convert is still in the 
world, though he is not of it, and must be en- 
gaged in worldly occupations. The only ques- 
tion is, how he ought to regulate his business 
pursuits so as to maintain the purity of his 
Christian character, while he holds all temporal 
interests in subjection to the higher claims of 
the Gospel. And if this question be examined 
in the light of the teachings of the Holy Scrip- 
tures, we shall have no difficulty in reaching a 
satisfactory conclusion. 

Diligence in business is required. 

Idleness is the parent of unnumbered vices 
and miseries. If a man does not find employ- 
ment for himself, Satan will find employment 
for him. Loungers and drones are just the 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



165 



material required to do his vagabond work. 
"The devil/' saith the proverb, "tempts other 
men, but the idler tempts the devil." Effem- 
inacy, dissipation, profligacy, and a thousand 
kindred abominations are begotten by laziness. 
And, as wickedness and wretchedness are indis- 
soluble companions, the indolent man is usually 
as unhappy as he is reprehensible. Moreover, 
Competence and wealth are the product of in- 
telligent labor, and every man is expected to 
provide for his own maintenance. " Work with 
your own hands/' is the apostolic injunction, 
"that ye may have lack of nothing;" for "when 
we were with you this we commanded you, that 
if any would not work, neither should he eat;" 
and he proceeds to enjoin on disorderly busy- 
bodies, "that with quietness they work and eat 
their own bread." 

No man who is able to earn his own liveli- 
hood has any right to live on the produce of 
another man's hands or brains. That modern 
saying, bred in the corruptions of great cities, 
"the world owes me a living," has in it the 
very essence of falsehood, fraud, and robbery. 
The world owes no man a living till he earns 
it. He has no right to eat if he will not work; 



166 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



no right to be a consumer if he will not be a 
producer. Work creates wealth. It clears away 
the forests ; cultivates the fields ; builds the 
cities; produces internal improvements; fosters 
commerce, bringing to our shores the produc- 
tions of all lands ; digs riches from the bowels 
of the earth; nourishes all mechanic arts; pro- 
vides for the education of children; supports 
all governmental institutions; and maintains, 
in a world inclined to barbarism, a beneficent, 
Christian civilization. 

Not to be a sharer in the labor of creating 
this splendid aggregate of results is dishonor- 
able and wicked. 

Every true man and every sincere Christian 
belongs to that ancient and justly-renowned 
family of workers; but they toil not selfishly, 
or with respect only to material ends; they 
labor that they " may have to give to him that 
needeth." The grand object which cheers and 
dignifies their industry is beneficent and noble. 
They seek to provide for those classes in society 
which, in the order of providence, are always 
dependent and often destitute. Such are chil- 
dren, the unfortunate losers of bodily parts or 
organs, the infirm and the aged. These are of 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



167 



necessity non-producers, and must be sustained 
by the efforts of others— by Christian kindness 
and affection. Labor designed to produce such 
benevolent results is an exalted privilege and 
an enduring benefit. It aggrandizes human 
nature. Birthright princes are your sons of 
toil. No work is too gigantic for their en- 
deavors ; no charity too exhaustive for. their 
productive labors; no scheme of improvement 
too broad, comprehensive, and far-reaching for 
their multiplied resources ; and no presence too 
illustrious for their essential dignity and real 
worth. " Seest thou a man diligent in his busi- 
ness, he shall stand before kings; he shall not 
stand before mean men." His diligence and 
activity shall secure him independence, respect- 
ability, and substantial honor. He will reach 
the high places of influence and power, and be 
known and esteemed by his fellow-men as an 
ingenious, tireless, and beneficent worker in 
some department of honest and productive in- 
dustry. 

Let not the young convert suppose, then, 
that he must withdraw from temporal pursuits 
in order to be a Christian. His religion rather 
requires that he should be engaged in them, 



168 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and that lie should make the most of them for 
the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
But there are certain restrictions within which 
his business affairs must be prosecuted, and 
certain well-defined limitations beyond which 
he must not pass in his pursuit of the gifts 
of opulence. 

Diligence in business must not destroy fervency 
of spirit, or prevent activity in the service of 
God. 

This rule forbids all unlawful occupations. 
A man can not live upon the vices or follies of 
his fellows, taking advantage of their perverted 
appetites and ungoverned passions, profiting by 
their ignorance or necessities, enriching and 
ennobling himself through their poverty and 
dishonor, and be an accepted follower of Jesus 
Christ. The convert, previous to his adoption 
into the Divine family, may have been engaged 
in some such irreligious business. There is 
now but one course for him to pursue; he 
must abandon his former employment, however 
great the sacrifice, and seek some avocation 
more in harmony with the genius of the Gospel. 
Any hesitation at this point will prove fatal. 
A business on which God's blessing can not be 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



169 



sought, which can not be prosecuted in the 
name of Jesus Christ, and which is productive 
of disastrous social and moral results, will drag 
the man who engages in it down to perdition. 

The Christian convert must shake his hands 
from all participation in unlawful gains, and 
eschew the petty tricks of trade, the mean 
devices of dishonest traffickers, and the depre- 
ciations and exaggerations of an ardent com- 
petition, as essentially corrupting and ruinous. 
The business world does not lie beyond the 
domain of God's government. Christianity is 
not exclusively for the Sabbath and the sanc- 
tuary. It is for every day and every place. 
It claims to be recognized and obeyed in the 
workshops and on 'change. Men are willing 
enough to make it a matter of temple service 
and of holy day observance ; they will sustain 
ministers and churches, and submit to a tedious 
and exacting ritual, if they can be permitted 
to serve other gods when they reenter the busy 
marts of trade. But the Gospel requires men 
to buy and sell, and transact all their business, 
with as keen a sense of religious obligation as 
that with which they offer their supplications 
at a throne of grace. 



170 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



The business man who would retain his Chris- 
tian fervor must guard against an absorbing 
worldliness. A lawful occupation, honorably 
conducted, may prove a snare to the soul, if it 
require so much time and attention as to prevent 
activity in the service of God. In the main, 
American business life is an anxious, feverish, 
care-worn, and self-consuming life. It engrosses 
every thought, energy, power, and passion of 
our immortal natures; it pants in hot-haste 
to be rich; and it sacrifices on the altars of 
Mammon health, and home, and the society of 
friends, and intercourse with one's own family, 
and opportunity for travel and culture, and 
leisure for works of charity and religion, and 
every thing, in a word, which might seem valu- 
able or important to a being made in the image 
of God. Such a life is entirely inconsistent 
with the Christian character; it is idolatrous 
and infidel; it denies God, dishonors man, and 
leads to a practical abrogation of all the claims 
of humanity and holiness; the closet is neg- 
lected, the family altar broken- down, the week- 
day prayer or conference meeting deserted, the 
necessities of the sick and sorrowing disre- 
garded, the impenitent and disorderly left un- 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



171 



•warned and uncorrected, and the whole work 
of God shamefully and persistently neglected : 
and all because time can not be spared from 
business ! 

We shall see the folly and wickedness of 
this position if we consider that there is but 
one proprietor of the universe ; that every man, 
with all of time, or talents, or resources which 
may have been bestowed upon him, belongs to 
him; and that the great end of life is not to 
secure material but spiritual good. These two 
truths, though vastly important, men are much 
inclined to overlook. Let them be well con- 
sidered by those who are starting in the Chris- 
tian course. God has a righteous claim to 
constant service and supreme affection. Tour 
body and soul — your life, with all its capa- 
bilities—should be consecrated to the promotion 
of his kingdom and glory. This principle should 
govern your business engagements, and then 
your toil and traffic will be earnestly prosecuted, 
or temporarily discontinued, just as the para- 
mount interest of his cause may demand. His 
will, not your pleasure, is the rightful govern- 
ing power; and though you should accumulate 
fortune's gifts less rapidly in consequence of 



172 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



this recognition of Divine authority, yet you 
will secure more of real good, more manhood, 
and more happiness. To acquire wealth ; to 
own houses, and lands, and stocks, and goods; 
to be esteemed a millionaire; to live in a palace; 
to make an ostentatious display of opulence; 
to be a bank president or a railroad director; 
to be regarded through life as a close, shrewd, 
successful man of the world, and then followed 
to the grave with the affectionate inquiry, 
"How much did he leave?" — is not certainly 
a career so attractive, honorable, or philan- 
thropic that it should beguile any rational soul 
from the paths of Christian purity and peace. 

The following extract from the private mem- 
orandum book of one of the most illustrious 
of New England merchants will be found cor- 
roborative of the above views, and contains 
admonitions which ought not to pass unheeded 
by the youthful disciple, who is resolved to 
maintain his spirituality and show forth his 
Christian power in all the walks of active life: 
" I have been extensively engaged in business 
during the last two years, and have added much 
to my worldly possessions, but have come to 
the same conclusion in regard to them that 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



173 



I did in 1818. I feel distressed in mind that 
the resolutions then made have not been more 
effectual in keeping me from this over-engaged- 
ness in business. I now find myself so en- 
grossed with its care as to occupy my thoughts, 
waking or sleeping, to a degree entirely dispro- 
portioned to its importance. The quiet and 
comfort of home are broken in upon by the 
anxiety arising from the losses and mischances 
of a business so extensive as ours; and, above 
all, that communion which ought ever to be 
kept free between man and his Maker is in- 
terrupted by the incessant calls of the multifa- 
rious pursuits of our establishment." 

" Truth is not local ; God alike pervades, 
And fills the world of traffic and the shades, 
And may he feared amid the busiest scenes, 
Or scorned where business never intervenes. " 

Mr. Samuel Budgett, so widely known as 
the successful merchant, was certainly a model 
man of business, and eminently worthy of imi- 
tation, if he answered truly to the following 
full-length portrait, so graphically sketched by 
the master hand of his biographer: "I have 
now to tell you of a genuine son of English 
commerce; not of one who, like Gresham, was 



174 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



by birth a prince of the blood in the empire of 
trade, but of one who, beginning in the ranks, 
fought his way up to eminence ; not of one wdio 
took his stand among the archers of speculation, 
and, drawing his bow at their brilliant target, 
chanced to strike the gold, but of one who rose 
by sheer dint of working, systematizing, and 
extending his own legitimate business ; not of 
one who accumulated by the simple power of 
retention — getting, griping, holding, and never 
giving — but of one who was as apt to scatter 
as to increase; not of one in whom early afflu- 
ence and education had combined the polish 
of aristocratic circles with the pursuits of com- 
mercial life, but of one who was to the last the 
keen, bustling, downright man of business; not 
of one who was so absorbed in trade that he 
never had a spare thought or a spare moment 
for recreation, friendship, the interest of others, 
the culture of his mind, or the care of his soul, 
but of one who, while passionately earnest in 
business, had always a heart for a friend, a 
hand for the poor, an hour for good works, a 
relish for a book, and a lively solicitude for the 
things that never pass away; not of one who 
moved in the high walks of cosmopolitan philan- 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



175 



thropy, but of one whose work was wrought 
near his own door, among the colliers, and the 
lane-side cots of a poor and unpolished neigh- 
borhood/' 

Such a practical exhibition of the purity and 
power of the Gospel is worth vastly more to 
the world than sermons or creeds, homilies or 
liturgies. Remember, young Christian, that the 
world will watch and criticise you in the midst 
of your temporal affairs with unwonted keen- 
ness and severity. 

What you say in the Church is not of half as 
much consequence as what you do in the field, 
or workshop, or marts of trade. You must 
not forget that you are constantly making an 
impression, favorable or unfavorable to the re- 
ligion of the Bible, on the minds of your fellow- 
men. You should demonstrate to the world 
that Christianity produces industry and fru- 
gality, while it extirpates avarice, overreaching, 
and every species of dishonesty. Show to 
wicked men the kindness, forbearance, and gen- 
erosity of the Gospel, and you will have ren- 
dered effectual service to the cause of Christ. 
But if they say religion has made him no bet- 
ter, he is as worldly as ever, he drives quite as 



176 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



close a bargain, lie is as ready to take a com- 
mercial advantage, he is fully as hard on those 
in his employment, just as faithless, improvi- 
dent, and reckless ; if they say these things 
with any reasons grounded in truth and justice, 
then you have compromised yourself and your 
religion, and reared a mighty barrier in the 
way of the salvation of those whom you ought 
to have brought to Jesus. It is your appro- 
priate mission, as a man of business and a 
Christian, to furnish to your fellows, and es- 
pecially to those who seldom visit the sanctu- 
ary, and do not feel the power of Christian in- 
stitutions, a living embodiment, which can be 
seen and felt, of that great commandment which 
is the fulfillment of the whole law — 

" Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self." 

Let them see that you are governed by that 
Divine rule, instinct with wisdom and love, 
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do 
unto you, do ye even so unto them," and they 
will soon become convinced both of the reality 
of religion and the genuineness of your expe- 
rience. 

If you adopt this course your business pur- 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



177 



suits will be crowned with success; you will 
find favor with God and with men ; your career 
on earth will be one of usefulness and substan- 
tial enjoyment. 

This proposition our great enemy vehemently 
and persistently denies. His constant sugges- 
tion is, " Whatever may be true of the life 
eternal, in order to acquire the things of this 
world you must serve me. I hold its kingdoms 
of wealth, pleasure, honor, and power at my 
disposal. If you would succeed in obtaining 
these coveted possessions, hearken to my coun- 
sels : Do not be over-scrupulous in regard to 
honor or honesty, look out sharply for your 
ow^n interests, and do not be carried away with 
any -whimsical notions of generosity or benevo- 
lence, but work and slave for me, your life- 
long, in the veriest drudgery of sin and selfish- 
ness, and I will reward you with wealth and 
distinctions." Thus, every Christian man, like 
his Divine Master before him, has proffered to 
him the kingdoms of this world if he will be- 
come a worshiper of the devil. Now, suppose 
that all this were true, ought you to be so af- 
fected by it as to sacrifice spiritual and im- 
mortal interests for mere worldly and tempo- 
12 



178 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



rary good? You have another life than that 
which bread nourishes ; you have another store 
than that which holds bread you can weigh and 
measure — 'every word that proceedeth out of 
the mouth of God.' That is your store. A 
promise is better than a fraud ; and he is more 
certain to live who trusts in the word out of 
the mouth of the Lord, than he who, distrusting 
that, proceeds, under the pressure of want, to 
make bread in the way suggested by Satan 
and though your religion should require self- 
denial and sacrifice, even to want, hunger, and 
death, yet " there are some things worse than 
death ; and though the world is slow to own it, 
be assured that it is better to die than sin, 
better to want than defraud, better to hunger 
than lie." Or could success be purchased at so 
fearful a price as submission to the archfoe, we 
should find drawbacks and disadvantages for 
which we never bargained. Wan and ghastly 
are the splendors of his kingdom, like a deceit- 
ful mirage the promised joys of his worshipers, 
and wild, maniacal, and " terrible as hell" the 
shouts of his deluded followers. 

Let Satan be confounded out of the Holy 
Scriptures. " Blessed is every one that feareth 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



179 



the Lord ; that walketh in his ways. For thou 
shalt eat the labor of thy hands; happy shalt 
thou be, and it shall be well with thee." Here is 
a condition and a promise; and if the condition 
be performed, the promise will unmistakably be 
realized. He who fears the Lord and walks in 
his ways will be " blessed ;" he will eat the labor 
of his hands — find true prosperity ; he will ob- 
tain happiness and substantial wellbeing. Now, 
when a young man enters upon a business ca- 
reer, it is said to him, "If you would succeed, 
you must yield to the demands of the times, 
you must conform to certain fashionable usages, 
you must do business as other men do, and then 
you will get along. It would be pleasanter, to 
be sure, if one could trade on Gospel principles ; 
but then the bulk of those with whom you have 
to compete are thoroughly selfish, and entirely 
unscrupulous; and as long as they chaffer and 
cheat, promise what they know they can not 
perform, resort to every low trick of rivalry, im- 
pose on their customers, and rush into the wild- 
est speculations, it will not be possible for you 
to make any advancement if you disregard all 
these advantages. Those slow, honest, puri- 
tanical modes of doing business, enjoined so 



180 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



earnestly from the pulpit, are impracticable, ob- 
solete, and 6 gone up 5 affairs. Religion is one 
thing, and business is another. Both are good 
in their place, but they do n't go well together. 
One ought to be pious, and attend Church on the 
Sabbath, and send the Gospel to the heathen ; 
but then conscience is an inconvenient thing in 
trade, and J esus Christ is not one of the gods of 
the Royal Exchange." 

Alas ! how many young men, ay, and young 
Christians too, have been deceived by these ly- 
ing voices, and beguiled into the service of 
Satan ! And what has been the result ? In 
the majority of instances bankruptcy and ruin — 
the loss of worldly goods, and of all spiritual 
possessions. He who is tender and fervid in 
his first love, who delights in the sacred associa- 
tions of God's house, and who is fully purposed 
to be every-where a representative of Christ and 
of his religion, may be so chilled and changed 
by these worldly maxims, that nothing will re- 
main of his Christian character but its name and 
semblance. He may come finally to exclaim, 
like one whose words are quoted in the " Suc- 
cessful Merchant," "Who ever thinks about 
God in business ? I think about God at Church ; 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



181 



but in business one has something else to think 
about. Men in a market are not likely to think 
about God." How strikingly just are Mr. Wil- 
liam Arthur's comments on this bold, infidel ut- 
terance ! " Perhaps not ; but men in a market 
have great need to think about God. No bar- 
gain is ever made in which God is not concerned. 
He is the eternal and universal guardian of jus- 
tice. You never can exclude him from any 
matter in which the rights of his offspring are 
involved. Against all who would wrong you, 
he takes your part. Against you he takes the 
part of all you would wrong. Over all the 
rights of his creatures his own hand is ever 
spread as a buckler. No man can wound your 
rights without smiting that hand. You can 
wound no man's rights without smiting it. See 
that you smite it not, for that great right hand 
of justice holds a tremendous sword." 

But it is an entire mistake that any real 
advantage is to be secured by practices of a 
doubtful morality, or by worshiping blindly at 
the shrine of Mammon. Nothing is worth so 
much to a young man, just starting out into the 
world, as a reputation for honesty, fair-dealing, 
and unbending integrity. These are qualifica- 



182 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



tions which, sooner or later, will command the 
respect and secure the confidence of mankind. 
Your Christianity, my young friends, will prove 
no embarrassment to your business success, if 
the world discovers that it is not feigned and 
hypocritical, not a thing born of the ritual and 
the creed, but genuine love to Grod and your fel- 
lows. That eminent merchant and truly-be- 
nevolent man, Amos Lawrence, who entered 
Boston with only twenty dollars, but died pos- 
sessed of an immense fortune, though he had 
charitably distributed many thousands with his 
own hands, may serve, in his whole career, as 
an apt illustration of these sentiments. "His 
daily actions/' says his biographer, "were 
guided by the most exalted sense of right and 
wrong; and in his strict sense of justice, Aris- 
tides himself could not surpass him. He was 
a living example of a successful merchant, who 
had, from the earliest period of his business 
career, risen above all artifice, and had never 
been willing to turn to his own advantage the 
ignorance or misfortune of others. He demon- 
strated, in his own case, the possibility of suc- 
cess while practicing the highest standard of 
moral obligation. He had ever commanded the 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



183 



confidence of those around him. When an ap- 
prentice in his native town many of his cus- 
tomers relied upon his judgment rather than 
their own. He never deceived them, and early 
adopted, as his rule of life, to do to others as 
he would have them do to him. Thus, he 
stood high in the confidence as well as in the 
estimation of his neighbors; what 'Amos' said 
was right, and no one could gainsay." 

The world is full of such examples. Let me 
present another, which has passed under my 
own observation. A young man, whose pious 
mother had hoped he would be called to the 
work of the ministry, resolved to enter upon 
the practice of law. She who had guided his 
young life, and shielded him with her prayers, 
was alarmed at the proposal, fearing that his 
profession would require the sacrifice of his re- 
ligious principles. "Mother," was his reply to 
her remonstrance, "if I can not be a lawyer 
and maintain my integrity as a man, and my 
faith and purity as a Christian, I shall never be 
seen in the courts." Soon after he had opened 
an office of his own, a Carson League was 
formed in the place where he resided, to sup- 
press the illegal traffic in intoxicating drinks. 



1.84 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



He joined it, and gave all his influence and 
support to the doctrine of prohibition. Some 
of his friends ventured to advise and expostulate. 
" You can never practice law in this place if 
you meddle with these temperance movements. 
You will alienate many of your best clients. 
Tou will provoke a powerful interest to crush 
you. You must beware." He replied, " Gen- 
tlemen, 1 appreciate your kindness, but you 
have mistaken your man. I greatly prefer my 
principles to my profession ; and if I must 
abandon either, it will be the latter !" This was 
his course in every thing. His motto was, 
"God, and the right." He was resolved to 
deal truly and honestly with every man. He 
was fully purposed to maintain his Christianity 
in all the walks of his profession. One of the 
first who came to him for counsel was a man of 
position and influence in the community, who 
washed to commence a suit against one of his 
neighbors. "If you prosecute this case," said 
the honest young advocate, after looking into 
its merits, "you will be beaten; or, at all 
events, you will deserve to be." The proposed 
client left enraged, and soon found a lawyer who 
was ready to do his dirty work. In the end he 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



185 



was defeated, as he had been admonished he 
would be, and had a huge bill of costs to dis- 
charge. But what followed ? The disappointed 
man came back to the office of this Christian 
lawyer, saying, " You told me the truth, when it 
seemed to be your interest to tell me a lie. I 
believe you are an honest man ; you shall have 
all my business after this." So it was with many 
others. The tide turned. The man of incor- 
ruptible integrity was sought, employed, and 
honored. His clients could trust him ; for they 
knew that he feared God and loved the Savior. 
His success was great, but no greater than he 
deserved. He has reached the first rank in his 
profession, and his future is brilliant with prom- 
ise. In the mean time he has enjoyed peace of 
conscience, the fellowship of the Church, and a 
hope of heaven. How much better is this than 
the service of Satan ! Be assured, young con- 
vert, that "godliness with contentment is great 
gain," that the precepts of Jesus are die test 
rules and regulations ever devised for the gov- 
ernment of business affairs, and that the path- 
way of duty and obedience is the road to honor- 
able success. 

Let me urge you, finally, to make your busi- 



186 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



ness the subject of constant prayer. Do not di- 
vorce your occupation from your religion; "but 
in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with 
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 
unto God." Seek your daily bread from him. 
Learn to cast your care upon him, to unburden 
your anxious heart at a throne of grace. Im- 
plore that guidance, restraint, and support which 
you feel that your circumstances demand. 
There is no interest of your body or soul which 
is not precious in the sight of God. And if you 
present yourself, your business, and your whole 
life to the Savior, he will bless and accept, illu- 
mine and aggrandize the whole. 

And remember how brief is your period for 
business and beneficent labors. Say not, pre- 
sumptuously, " To-day, or to-morrow, we will go 
into such a city, and continue there a year, and 
buy, and sell, and get gain ; whereas, ye know 
not what shall be on the morrow;" you only 
know that your life is even as a vapor, which 
"appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth 
away;" that soon your hand will lose its cun- 
ning, your step its firm, elastic tread, and your 
busy brain its power of calculation, Happy is he 
who is a conscious heir to the immortal riches, 



BUSINESS PURSUITS. 



187 



who lias a sure title to the fadeless inheritance, 
and who is destined to hear the thrilling plaudit, 
"Well done, good and faithful servant; thou 
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make 
thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into 
the joy of thy Lord." 



\ 



188 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XV. 

SOCIAL RELATIONS. 

God hath, made of one blood all nations of 
men. The human race is one great fraternity. 
Every man is related to eyery other man. 
Universal kindred is the law of our existence. 
"Within this extended circumference of being 
are found communities, churches, and families — 
wheels within a wheel — binding us together in 
still closer ties of brotherhood and consanguin- 
ity. The constitution of man's nature is in ac- 
cordance with this condition of things. He is 
dependent upon his fellows. He needs their 
help, needs associates and companions, the 
strength and polish resulting from honest emula- 
tion and the attrition of mind with mind— needs 
kindness, sympathy, and affection through every 
stage of his mortal career. 

" Heaven forming each on other to depend, 
A master, or a servant, or a friend, 
Bids each on other for assistance call, 
Till one man's weakness grows the strength of all; 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



189 



Wants, frailties, passions, closer still ally 
The common interest, or endear the tie ; 
To these we owe true friendship, love sincere, 
Each home-felt joy that life inherits here." 

Through these social relations Christianity 
comes in contact with the world ; the leaven of 
the Gospel diffuses itself through the family, 
the community, the State. Every man who 
has received the Divine illumination is ex- 
pected to shed some light on the dark pathway 
of the unrenewed. He is to become a witness 
for Jesus. His sanctified social power is to be 
employed to secure the progress and triumph 
of Christ's kingdom. How utterly at variance 
with these sentiments are all monastic ideas and 
institutions ! The monastery, the nunnery, and 
the house of religious reclusion are reprobated 
by Protestantism as irrational, unscriptural, and 
deleterious ; but a kind of spiritual monastieism 
may often be found in the bosom of the evan- 
gelical Church. It is born illegitimately of an 
earnest Christianity. It is a fanatical out- 
growth ; but, like mushrooms and fungi, it indi- 
cates a rich soil, capable of nobler productions. 
It is never found in a formal, backslidden 
Church. It can be generated only by the revi- 



190 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



val flame. It is like steam, which is produced 
by heat, and harmless if suffered to escape; 
but explosive and destructive if improperly con- 
fined. And like steam, it is vastly serviceable 
if wisely employed, and furnishes a motive 
power of tremendous force. The idea that one 
must withdraw from society in order to be a 
Christian springs from an earnest desire to at- 
tain unto the highest style of Gospel holiness, 
The sensitive soul, like the mimosa, shrinks 
from the rude touch of an unfriendly world. 
It fears lest its new-born purity be stained 
and destroyed by the presence of sinful cor- 
ruptions. Now, nothing can be more commend- 
able than this desire to become eminently spirit- 
ual and heavenly-minded; but the aspiration 
needs direction as well as encouragement. The 
Christian neophyte must be informed that his 
religion is not a hot-house plant which can 
grow up only in the shade, which would perish 
beneath a wintery sky, or be consumed by the 
ardent touch of a Summer's sun. He must not 
expect always to breathe the airs of Palestine, 
or to abide unceasingly at altars fragrant with 
incense, or glowing with celestial fires. The 
Savior is not like a babe wrapped in swaddling- 



SOCIAL EELATIONS. 



191 



clothes, to be laid away in our hearts, as in a 
perfumed chamber, soft, stilly, and sacred, 
where no harsh breath can disturb the sweet 
repose ; but we are rather to put on Christ, to 
wear him openly and bravely, to exhibit his 
form and beauty, till men shall be charmed by 
his perfections and ravished by the splendors 
of his Divinity. Christian men are not to be 
shut up in the closet or sanctuary, as perfumes 
are carefully bottled and sealed, lest the invisi- 
ble aroma should escape, and only a worthless 
residuum remain; but their souls, warmed and 
invigorated by the truth of the Gospel, and re- 
freshed by the dews of Divine grace, are to 
open and expand, like buds in the Spring-time, 
and to shed forth their fragrance, as the flowers 
of Eden, till the whole atmosphere is filled with 
delightful odors. 

Clad in his Divine armor, the Christian sol- 
dier needs no bulwarks or intrenchments to 
defend him against his enemies; these would 
only impede his onward march, and hinder his 
aggressive movements ; but wielding the sword 
of the Spirit, he is invincible and triumphant 
on every field of combat. The truth is, we sus- 
tain certain social relations in the order of 



192 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



providence, and we have no right to ignore their 
existence. They may be made the means of 
extensive usefulness, and they are designed and 
adapted to promote our happiness. We are 
under obligation to make, the most of our social 
position and influence to advance the interests 
of religion. 

There are associations, however, which should 
be avoided. The society of the frivolous, the 
dissolute, and the skeptical can be productive 
only of moral depravation and ruin. A bold, 
bad man, who has a pleasing address, brilliant 
powers of mind, and skill to make "the worse 
appear the better reason," will enchant, bewilder, 
and destroy whole hecatombs of immortal souls. 
But the young convert has, perhaps, less to fear 
from this class of persons than from those who 
wear the garb of Christianity, but are destitute 
of the spirit of Jesus — who have passed from 
the torrid fervors of their early experience into 
the regions of perpetual frost, and who are gov- 
erned by the maxims and fashions of this 
world, while professedly seeking for treasures 
and honors in an immortal clime. "There is 
nothing," said Dr. Kane, "so awful as the still- 
ness of an Arctic night." Now, there are 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



193 



many persons and Churches which are aptly 
symbolized by this breathless Polar night. 
They remind one of the mountains of ice which 
float in those Northern seas — grand, massive, 
and majestic, but cold, sunless, and terrible. Woe 
be to the Christian convert who is surrounded 
by these moral icebergs ! they will freeze his very 
life-blood. The flame of Divine love will burn 
low in his heart, till its mighty throbbings cease, 
just as the piston of a steam-engine stops playing 
when the fires have gone out. Let the young 
convert beware of such associations. They 
will exert over him a most deleterious influ- 
ence, and often when he is well-nigh uncon- 
scious of it. There is, say the physiologists, a 
peculiar atmosphere surrounding every man's 
body, arising from the insensible perspiration 
which is constantly going on; and when we 
come into the presence of any one we are af- 
fected by this exhalation. There is, also, a pe- 
culiar atmosphere surrounding every man's 
soul, and when brought in contact with our 
fellows, we breathe in, all unconsciously, this 
atmosphere, which may be charged with poison- 
ous and deadly miasms; and there is nothing 

this side of perdition so noxious, noisome, and 

13 



194 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



destructive as the atmosphere of bad souls. 
But the stench of absolute rottenness, whether 
physical or moral, disgusts and repels ; the 
greatest danger is realized when the poison is 
unconsciously inhaled— when the atmosphere is 
at once balmy and deadly, intoxicating and de- 
structive. 

Christian associations, on the other hand, are 
productive of the greatest advantages. Instruc- 
tion, encouragement, and consolation may be 
obtained from our fellow-believers. We realize, 
through Christian converse, the benefit of their 
experience ; and, as Calvin says, " There is 
none, however weak, in the Church of Christ, who 
can not be of some use for our advance in grace." 
When Christian and Hopeful were shut up to- 
gether in Doubting Castle, beaten and bruised 
by the grim old giant Despair, the former 
would have destroyed himself, but for the faith- 
ful admonitions of his companion. He who 
could not be crushed by Apollyon, who had 
braved martyrdom at Vanity Fair, and who had 
proved superior to the terrors of the Valley of 
the Shadow of Death, was now filled with fears, 
and ready to perish. But words of kindly 
cheer from his brother-pilgrim inspired hope in 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



195 



his bosom, and prepared the way for their final 
deliverance. The case was reversed when they 
reached the Enchanted Ground. The drowsy 
air caused Hopeful to be very dull and heavy, 
and Sleep pressed his eyelids with her leaden 
fingers, till he w T as ready to seek rest and re- 
freshment in her soft, dreamy embrace. But 
Christian replies to his invitation, "Let us lie 
down here and take one nap," in sharpest 
tones of warning and rebuke: "By no means; 
lest, sleeping, we never awake more." He re- 
minds his somnolent brother that this is the 
Enchanted Ground, of which they had been 
warned, and adds this wise suggestion, " Now, 
then, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us 
fall into good discourse" Accordingly, they be- 
gan the recital of their Christian experience, 
and continued it till they reached the land of 
Beulah, " whose air was very sweet and pleas- 
ant," fragrant with the breath of flowers, and 
musical with the song of birds. There is much 
too little conversation among Christians in re- 
gard to the facts of their experience. They do 
not make that mention of the Divine goodness 
which love and gratitude demand. They do 
not cheer and encourage each other in the way 



196 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



of holiness, as they might, by frequent relig- 
ious communion. Young converts should seek 
to acquire this habit, and learn to make the 
most of every opportunity for Christian inter- 
course. 

It will, however, be impossible to exclude 
from our social life all who are not Christians. 
We must go into general society, and mingle 
with all classes of our fellow-men. And even 
from associations of this character, if sought 
with right motives and purposes, both pleasure 
and profit may be derived. The Christian does 
not visit the social assembly as a self-seeker, 
to excite admiration and secure applause, to 
make an ostentatious display of wealth or ac- 
complishments, or to dazzle astonished eyes 
with the splendors of beauty or genius ; but 
with an ardent desire to communicate some sub- 
stantial good, and to increase the aggregate of 
individual and collective wellbeing and happi- 
ness. The self-seeker is perpetually baffled, 
disappointed, and betrayed ; all unholy passions, 
such as pride, envy, jealousy, and hatred, burn 
like coals of fire in his bosom; his conversa- 
tion is uncharitable, unjust, and criminative, and 
he leaves the social gathering charged with bit- 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



197 



terness and misanthropy, having neither gained 
nor imparted any rational or satisfactory enjoy- 
ment. Cowper's picture is by far too truthful 
and life-like : 

" She, who invites 
Her dear five hundred friends, contemns them all, 
And dreads their coming ; they— what can they less ? 
With shrug and grimace hide their hate of her." 

The following extract from a letter addressed 
to Lady Huntingdon, by the Duchess of Marl- 
borough, wife of the renowned Duke of Marl- 
borough, will show what motives sometimes in- 
duce the fashionable and distinguished to culti- 
vate the society of their fellows : " I have no 
comfort in my own family, therefore must seek 
for that pleasure and gratification that others 

can impart When alone my 

reflections and recollections almost kill me, and 
I am forced to fly to the society of those I de- 
test and abhor. Now, there is Lady Frances 
Sanderson's great rout to-morrow night ; all the 
world will be there. I must go. I do hate that 
woman as much as I do hate a physician. But 
I must go, if for no other purpose than to mor- 
tify and spite her/' Is it any wonder that so- 
ciety should fail to make those happy who 



198 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



enter it, only to escape the torment of conscious 
guilt and shame, or who are actuated by no 
higher motives than a wish to share in the 
eclat of a fashionable gathering, and to gratify 
a pitiful spite toward some unoffending neigh- 
bor? Neither the furnishings of wealth, the 
adornments of art, the charms of music, the at- 
tractions of beauty, or the splendors of genius, 
can bring peace and joy, or minister a sweet 
content to a heart so thoroughly selfish, pas- 
sionate, depraved, and wicked. But he who 
goes into society from the inspiration of a sanc- 
tified and beneficent purpose, aiming to pro- 
mote the happiness of all with whom he comes 
in contact, noticing the neglected, informing 
the ignorant, encouraging the despondent, com- 
forting the bereaved, and helping and support- 
ing those who are needy and dependent, will 
return to his own home and to the place of se- 
cret communion with his God, feeling not only 
that he has not fallen into condemnation, but 
also that his precepts and example will be re- 
membered with reverence and gratitude, and 
will bring forth fruit unto holiness, the end of 
which shall be, both for himself and others, 
eternal life. 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



199 



The love of society sometimes becomes, espe- 
cially with the young, an absorbing passion. 
To dress, to visit, and to whirl through the gay 
round of social dissipation, appears to be the 
great end of their existence. They shun soli- 
tude as nature is said to abhor a vacuum. 
They are miserable if left to themselves ; for 
they have learned to look entirely to others for 
enjoyment. They must be admired and flat- 
tered, and must occasionally make a sensation 
in fashionable circles, or life becomes too dreary 
for endurance. 

Intercourse with others is an exhaustive proc- 
ess ; it exhales our life, and it will dry up the 
very springs of our being, if there be no oppor- 
tunities for recuperation and refreshment. We 
communicate more than we receive, till that 
which has been poured into our minds is made 
truly our own, digested and assimilated to our 
natures, by meditation and prayer. "We earn- 
estly counsel young Christians, therefore, to 
guard jealously some portion of each day from 
111 creature intrusion. Consecrate some golden 
hours to thought and prayer, the study of the 
Scriptures and communion with Jehovah. We 
attain, under such circumstances, a hight of 



200 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



stature and breadth of being otherwise quite im- 
possible. Great thoughts, noble aspirations, 
clear perceptions of truth, lofty purposes of ac- 
tion, yearnings for purity, and transporting 
visions of God and eternity will be born in a 
blaze of inspiration, as the result of such soli- 
tary reflection and earnest prayer. The soul 
will be exalted, transformed, and aggrandized by 
this confidential and unbroken intercourse with 
its Creator; the most wonderful knowledge of 
its own powers, susceptibilities, tendencies, and 
destiny will be acquired ; and, borne " on the 
golden wing" of the " cherub contemplation/' it 
will rise higher than the heavens, traverse the 
immensity of the universe, mingle with the 
throngs of angelic adorers, gaze with prophetic 
clearness along the interminable line of future 
ages, and press with seraphic boldness and fer- 
vor into the very presence of the Infinite, wor- 
shiping amidst the blazing glories of the eternal 
throne. From such mounts of rapturous vision 
let the young disciple descend into the lowly 
walks of every-day life, governed by those prin- 
ciples which have been nurtured in solitude, by 
meditation and prayer, and reflecting upon all 
with whom he associates those heaven-born glo- 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



201 



ries with which his own soul has been trans- 
fused. 

A complete and harmonious development of 
our nature is not to be secured either in solitude 
or in society : it requires both to make the per- 
fect man; and the highest spiritual attainments 
are reached neither in the closet nor in the pub- 
lic assembly, but result from this twofold life of 
thought and action— silent prayer and heroic 
performance. " It is easy," some one has said, 
" in the world to live after the world's opinion ; 
it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but 
the great man is he who, in the midst of the 
crowd, keeps, with perfect sweetness, the inde- 
pendence of his soul." The strength acquired 
in solitude prepares us for the temptations of 
society ; the varied interests of society furnish 
food for reflection and inspiration for our pray- 
ers ; and thus maintaining our communion with 
Jehovah, we are enabled to transmit to others, 
through our social relations, the choicest bless- 
ings which Heaven has to bestow. 

But there are prejudices and wrongs existing 
in society which no Christian man can ever 
sanction or countenance. He can have no sym- 
pathy with the rich in oppressing the poor, 



202 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



or with the poor in envying the rich. He can 
not take sides with the strong in trampling upon 
the weak, or with the weak in contemning and 
hating the strong. Exact and impartial justice 
for all men is the demand of his religion. But 
this is not the extent of its requirements. It 
demands, also, compassion for the suffering, 
commiseration for the unfortunate, and a gener- 
ous consideration of the feelings, prepossessions, 
and necessities, fancied or real, of those who 
are needy or troubled. Christianity is a religion 
for man; it is the purest democracy in the 
world, in that it guarantees equal rights and im- 
munities to all ; and it entirely ignores birth, 
rank, opulence, public honors, and whatever 
other social distinctions men may devise, and re- 
gards only the far higher questions of character 
and destiny. It recognizes no castes, no privi- 
leged classes, no superior orders, entitled al- 
ways to special and pecuniary consideration. 
If you, my dear young disciple, have the spirit, 
of Jesus, you will honor and love his followers 
in every position in life. That amiable and ex- 
cellent girl, who is poorly and unfashionably 
clad, will receive from you as much attention as 
the gorgeously-attired daughter of rank and 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 203 

opulence. That modest and virtuous young 
man, who earns his daily bread by his daily 
toil, will not be passed by with supercilious con- 
tempt, that you may bestow unmerited atten- 
tions upon the perfumed exquisite who rejoices 
in ancestral honors, and expects to live sump- 
tuously upon a fortune which others have accu- 
mulated. You will not be ashamed to take the 
hand of an honest man in any place, or in any 
presence, albeit it is sun-burnt and hardened; 
and you will not shrink from intercourse with 
any respectable woman, however poor, illiterate, 
and uncultivated, who bears on her soul the 
image of Jesus, or whom you can help in the 
way to heaven. If you are living in daily com- 
munion with Christ, you will learn to place his 
estimate upon men, to reverence the pure and 
good without regard to wealth or station, to 
condemn the vile and profligate, despite the false 
honors with which they are crowned, and to 
cherish toward all a spirit of true charity and 
of earnest beneficence. The apostle James, 
condemning that mean and cruel disposition 
which has respect unto "gay clothing," and 
r dishonors " a poor man in vile raiment," whom 
God hath chosen to be an heir of his kingdom, 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



expresses our whole duty in that royal law, 
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
Our social life should be governed by a reso- 
lute purpose to honor all men. 

The statements and doctrines of this chapter 
find an appropriate illustration in the example 
of our adorable Savior. Though a public 
teacher, he passed much of his time secluded 
from the world. His followers were often dis- 
missed, and even the larger portion of those 
whom he had chosen as his apostles, and, with 
Peter, James, and John, esteemed and honored 
friends, he would engage in the hallowing exer- 
cise of social worship. Sometimes even these 
highly-favored disciples and ministers were 
themselves « sent away," while their Lord and 
Master, seeking the mountain fastnesses, would 
spend whole nights in solitary meditation and 
prayer. It is true that Jesus had a social life, 
but it was held in entire abeyance to the great 
purposes of his mission. His mother said to 
him, when he had, without the knowledge of 
his parents, remained in Jerusalem, astonishing 
the doctors in the Temple with his questions 
and answers, " Son, why hast thou thus dealt 
with us ? Behold, thy father and I have sought 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



205 



thee sorrowing." His answer strikes the key- 
note of his whole life and ministry : " How is it 
that ye sought me ? Wist ye not that I must 
be about my Father's business?" Every thing 
was made subordinate to that great work of re- 
demption which he came into the world to ac- 
complish. And the same devotion, the same 
subjection of every social relation and endear- 
ment to the ever-paramount claims of the Gos- 
pel, he requires of his disciples — " He that lov- 
eth father or mother more than me is not 
worthy of me ; and he that loveth son or daugh- 
ter more than me is not worthy of me." 

But this recognition of the supremacy of the 
Divine law does not destroy friendship, or lead 
us to disregard any social relation. Though 
Jesus said, " My meat is to do the will of him 
that sent me, and to finish his work," yet he 
is described as one who came " eating and drink- 
ing," living as do other men, and mingling 
freely with society. He had his particular 
friends in the college of the apostles, and John 
was favored in so marked a manner that he 
was known as the disciple "whom Jesus loved." 
What an affecting exhibition of the humanity 
of Jesus ! His filial affection and brotherly re- 



206 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



gard for the only apostle who seems to have 
"witnessed his crucifixion, is contained in the 
following words : " Now, there stood by the 
cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sis- 
ter, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Mag- 
dalene. When Jesus, therefore, saw his mother, 
and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he 
saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 
Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy 
mother ! And from that hour that disciple took 
her unto his own home.' 5 

The family at Bethany also enjoyed the per- 
sonal friendship of our Savior. We are told 
that " Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and 
Lazarus." On one occasion, at least, " they 
made him a supper/ 5 which, it would seem, all 
his disciples attended, and at which Mary 
anointed his feet with a costly ointment, and 
wiped them with the hairs of her head. To this 
delightful retreat, on the shady side of the 
Mount of Olives, our Savior used often to retire 
for rest and refreshment, when wearied and 
exhausted by his labors and sufferings; and 
it is probable that every evening of the last 
week of his life was passed in the society of 
these cherished and honored friends. 



SOCIAL RELATIONS. 



207 



No teacher ever placed such signal honor 
upon man as our Lord and Master. He was 
known as the " friend of publicans and sinners." 
He mingled with all classes in society, that all 
might partake of the blessings he came to be- 
stow. He was found in the synagogue and in 
the market-place. He shared the social life of 
his countrymen, gladdening with his presence 
the wedding-feast and the solemn obsequies for 
the dead. He was specially active to relieve 
every species of distress, to preach the Gospel 
to the poor, and to bring all men into the en- 
joyment of physical and spiritual soundness. 
Me was tie friend of man. Sorrow fled at his 
approach, infirmity was transmuted into strength 
and deformity into beauty, injustice and oppres- 
sion writhed beneath his rebukes, and death 
and hell, the enemies and spoilers of our sinful 
race, humbled themselves in his presence, and 
obeyed his commands. 

In every age of the Christian Church there 
have been misanthropists and anchorites, who 
have called themselves followers of Jesus; but 
they have never found any warrant for their 
character or conduct in the genial and benefi- 
cent life of our blessed Savior. There is not a 



208 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



monastic order on earth from which he would 
not have been expelled for a violation of the 
rules; and there are enthusiasts and fanatics 
in the best of Protestant Churches, who would 
have derided him, as did the Jews, for eating 
with publicans and sinners, and would have 
deemed him guilty of worldly conformity in at- 
tending wedding-feasts, and permitting his friends 
to make a supper in his honor, and for the en- 
tertainment of himself and his disciples. 

Let the Christian convert, who would so order 
his intercourse with the world as to secure for 
himself a calm and hallowed peace, while he 
ministers to others the consolations of the Gos- 
pel, take for an example, at once inspiring and 
authoritative, the social life of Jesus. Let him 
cultivate the same beneficent spirit, let him 
cherish a kindred affection for the poor and 
sorrowing, let him guard as jealously his sea- 
sons of private devotion, let him seek the so- 
ciety of his fellows with a like desire to bestow 
upon them substantial benefits, and he will find 
that his own social life has been made happy 
and honored. 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



209 



CHAPTER XVI. 

SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 

The Most High is the great benefactor of 
the universe. In his nature he is a being of in- 
exhaustible goodness and love. His tender 
mercy is over all his works. Creation, with 
myriad voices, proclaims the benevolence of 
his character. The whole course of his provi- 
dence attests the merciful designs of his govern- 
ment. " The eyes of all wait upon thee ; and 
thou givest them their meat in due season. 
Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire 
of every living thing." 

The utterances of the inspired oracles ; the 
incarnation of the Son of God, who was rich in 
glory, but who, for our sakes, became poor ; the 
saving offices of the Holy Spirit, sent to guide 
us into all truth, and to abide with us as a com- 
forter forever ; the institution of the Christian 
Church, with its multiplied means of grace, 
through which the streams of salvation are 
poured upon our hearts ; the revelation of life 



210 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and immortality brought to us in the Gospel, 
which assures us of the fact of a future and 
interminable being, and illumines the track of 
our destiny with heaven-born splendors — all 
these unite in demonstrating the goodness and 
grace of our Heavenly Father, and the benefi- 
cent purposes of the Divine administration. 

The comprehensive requirement of God's 
Word is, that toe should he like him — that we 
should bear his image, imitate his example, and 
live his life, " Love your enemies, bless them 
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 
and pray for them which despitefully use you 
and persecute you ; that ye may be the children 
of your Father which is in heaven; for he 
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the 
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the 
unjust." a Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your 
Father also is merciful." 

It is plain, from these passages, that benefi- 
cence is indispensable to the Christian life. We 
must do good; we must bless, by our labors 
and prayers, not only our neighbors and friends, 
but those who hate and persecute us, if we 
would be regarded as the children of God. 
It becomes young believers, especially, carefully 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 211 



to consider these important truths. To be 
Christians, and gain heaven, they must follow 
the example of Him who " went about doing 
good/' and cheerfully gave his life to ransom 
and save a wicked and apostate race. Let them 
not suppose that selfishness and worldliness are 
consistent with Christian character — that they 
can live for themselves, and yet enjoy the appro- 
bation of the great Head of the Church. 
Worldly conformity and worldly attachments 
are emphatically forbidden in the Word of God. 
"Be not conformed to this world;" and to pre- 
vent such conformity, "be ye transformed by 
the renewing of your mind"— the mighty 
power of the Holy Ghost producing a new crea- 
tion — "that ye may prove what is that good, 
and acceptable, and perfect will of God." This 
worldly conformity is hindered and precluded 
by a Gospel transformation, which sends a 
man forth into every pathway of beneficent 
labor, that he may prove God's blessed will in 
the amelioration of human condition, and the 
salvation of lost and wretched souls. "Love 
not the world," therefore, " neither the things 
that are in the world. If any man love the 
world, the love of the Father is not in him. 



212 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 

For all that is in the world, the lust of the 
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 
Hence it is that " they that will be rich' 7 — that 
are fully resolved and purposed to obtain and 
enjoy the world — "fall into temptation and 
a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful 
lusts, which drown men in destruction and per- 
dition. For the love of money" — and this 
stands as the exponent of all avarice and world- 
liness — "is the root of all evil; which, while 
some coveted after, they have erred from the 
faith, and pierced themselves through with 
many sorrows." It is no marvel, therefore, 
that the sin of covetousness is so fearfully de- 
nounced in the Holy Scriptures. " For this ye 
know, that no covetous man, who is an idolater, 
hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ 
and of God." "The wicked," it is said, " boast- 
eth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covet- 
ous, whom the Lord abhorreth." And St. Paul 
classes covetous men with idolaters, adulterers, 
thieves, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners, 
none of whom "shall inherit the kingdom of 
God." 

Avarice, worldliness, and covetousness are 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 213 



vices which are opposed to the exercise of Chris- 
tian beneficence. They are the spawn of self- 
ishness and sin. They are utterly subversive 
of man's wellbeing, and grossly dishonoring to 
God. They are, accordingly, forbidden in the 
Scriptures, distinctly and emphatically. Their 
general interdiction in the Gospel is thus sum- 
marily expressed by the apostle: "Let your 
conversation" — your disposition and habit of 

life "be without covetousness ; and be content 

with such things as ye have ; for he hath said, I 
will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that, 
looking for his blessing upon your honest labors, 
and expecting his assistance in every trial, you 
may boldly say, " The Lord is my helper, and I 
will not fear what man shall do unto me." 

And not only is it true that selfishness, with 
its kindred abominations, is forbidden and repro- 
bated, but the virtue of Christian beneficence 
is explicitly and repeatedly enjoined. 

"Honor the Lord with thy substance, and 
with the first-fruits of all thine increase." 
"Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in 
faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in 
all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye 
abound in this grace also," namely, in the grace 



214 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



of Christian liberality. "But to do good and 
to communicate forget not; for with such sacri- 
fices God is well pleased." " Charge them that 
are rich in this world that they be not high- 
minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the 
living God, who giveth us richly all things to 
enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in 
good works, ready to distribute, willing to commu- 
nicate; laying up in store for themselves a good 
foundation against the time to come, that they 
may lay hold on eternal life." "Upon the 
first day of the week let every one of you"-— 
not the rich only — "lay by him in store, as 
God hath prospered him, that there be no gath- 
erings when I come." "Every man according 
as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; 
not grudgingly, or of necessity ; for God loveth 
a cheerful giver." These quotations must suf- 
fice. None can doubt, in view of them, that 
benevolence is a requirement of the Gospel. 
Philanthropic activity, springing from a sense 
of the Divine goodness and mercy, is the true 
idea of the Christian life. And this obligation 
rests upon all classes. None are exempted from 
this work of beneficence. We must cheerfully 
"communicate" of our substance to meet the 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



215 



demands of charity, and to sustain the institu- 
tions of the Church, if we would secure a store 
of immortal riches, and provide a good founda- 
tion against the time to come. 

We proceed to remark, that the required be- 
neficence should be systematic. 

Oar Heavenly Father teaches us this by his 
example. This is the character of the Divine 
beneficence. God gives as regularly as freely. 
His bestowments are not only munificent but 
systematic. The light of each returning day, 
the order of the seasons, with their promise and 
fruitfulness, and the whole course of Providence 
in regard both to individuals and communities, 
attest 3 the steady and unfailing flow of Jehovah's 
goodness and love. In our beneficent efforts 
we should seek conformity to the Divine model. 
Our charities, to be Christian, must be regular, 
constant, and prompted by the inspiring motives 
of the Gospel. The calls of beneficence, the 
support of the Church, and the relief of the 
poor demand daily and annual contributions. 
These claims can not be met with that unvary- 
ing promptness which the case requires, except 
upon some plan of benevolence, resting upon a 
basis of interest and duty, and thoroughly sys- 



216 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



tematic in all its details. Let there be order 
and regularity, and the greatest possible effi- 
ciency will be realized ; the largest measure of 
substantial wellbeing, both for the benefactors 
and the beneficiaries, will be secured; and 
every need of the Church and the poor will be 
promptly supplied, on an honorable scale, and 
wdth a liberal hand. 

"We are not so addicted to doing good/ 5 says 
William Arthur, "that it comes upon us by 
accident; and as God bountifully gives, we 
should deliberately resolve that we will 6 honor 
God with our substance, and with the first- 
fruits of our increase/ The work of charity to 
men's souls and bodies, of gratitude for God's 
bounty, is too sacred to be left to chance and 
impulse ; regular and calculated reserves should 
be made for such outlay, if we would not live 
to ourselveSj but to Him who died for us and 
rose again." 

There are two requirements of the Scriptures 
in regard to this duty of systematic beneficence, 
which, because of their importance, and the dis- 
tinctness with which they are stated^ are justly 
entitled to special consideration. The first is, 
that God's claim underlies every other claim, 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



217 



and that the first-fruits of our increase consti- 
tute his portion; and the second is, that the 
tenth part of our income, at least, is reserved 
by the Almighty for the use and benefit of his 
cause and his suffering servants. 

All things belong to God ; and all the good 
which man enjoys is the result of Divine benefi- 
cence. He is the great and bountiful giver. 
According to the multitude of his tender mer- 
cies, he provides for all the necessities of our 
bodies and our souls. And if he reserves any 
portion of that which comes to us in the order 
of his providence, it is not because he needeth 
any thing, but to give us an opportunity to 
show our justice and magnanimity in rendering 
unto him that which is his own. If he demands 
the primary portion, the first-fruits, the choicest 
of our possessions, has he not a right to reserve 
what he will? and do not gratitude and love 
move us to a hearty acknowledgment of his 
righteous requirements? We shall find, upon 
inquiry, that in every dispensation God has laid 
his hand upon all man's possessions, saying, " I 
am the rightful owner of the universe, and these 
goods are mike. But only consecrate to me the 
first-fruits, bring a tribute as a token of loyalty 



218 



COUNSELS TO CONVEKTS. 



and submission, acknowledge my sovereignty, and 
you shall be free to retain and enjoy all beside, 
and my blessing shall rest upon you." 

Even in the Garden of Eden, in man's inno- 
cency, the fruit of the tree, which was " in the 
midst of the garden," was interdicted to our first 
parents. They saw that "the tree was good 
for food," « pleasant to the eyes," and " a tree 
to be desired to make one wise "—doubtless, one 
of the most beautiful, attractive, and excellent 
of all the trees that bloomed in Paradise; but 
God had said, "Ye shall not eat of it, neither 
shall ye touch it, lest ye die." He created 
every tree which grew out of the ground, "pleas- 
ant to the sight, and good for food," and freely 
bestowed the fruits thereof upon his new-made 
creature; but the fruit of this forbidden tree he 
reserved as a declaration of his right to all, and 
to enable man to demonstrate his fealty and obe- 
dience. 

"And in process of time it came to pass that 
Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, an offer- 
ing unto the Lord. And Abel he also brought 
of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat 
thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel 
and to his offering ; but unto Cain and to his 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE . 219 

offering he had not respect." On this passage 
let it he observed, that Cain's offering was an 
eucharistic or gratitude offering, in itself emi- 
nently appropriate, being an acknowledgment 
of God's sovereignty, and of indebtedness to 
him for all secular blessings; that Abel brought 
this same offering, but that he also brought an 
expiatory sacrifice-and that it was because 
Cain's offering was thus defective, and not be- 
cause the thank-offering was improper or unre- 
quired, that God had not respect unto Cam. 
The anostle Paul informs us that it was because 
of Abel's faith— his confidence in the promise 
that the seed of the woman should bruise the 
serpent's head-that he brought "a more excel- 
lent sacrifice than Cain "-rather, a fuller sacri- 
fice; for there can be no doubt that the original 
word, as the critics have observed, signifies more 
in number rather than more in value; so that 
God testified "of his gifts," witnessing, by fire 
from heaven, his acceptance both of the thank- 
offering and the piacular sacrifice. 

This passage shows us, therefore, that these 
gratitude-offerings were thus early presented 
upon the Divine altars, and that, as an acknowl- 
edgment of his sovereignty and goodness, they 



220 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



were acceptable to the Most High. It was un- 
questionably a custom of the patriarchal age to 
bring the choicest fruits and the firstlings of the 
flock, and to consecrate them to Jehovah ; and 
the command, " Thou shalt not delay to offer 
the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors/' 
clearly evinces not only that this was a require- 
ment generally understood and practiced, but 
also that any neglect or postponement of this 
duty was especially provocative ' of the Divine 
displeasure. 

The force and meaning of these passages are 
distinctly discerned in the light of that unequiv- 
ocal command, " Honor the Lord with thy sub- 
stance, and with the first-fruits of all thine in- 
crease f in which the emphatic requirement is, 
that God's claim be met first— not that we conse- 
crate to him what remains of our income after 
all our real or imaginary wants are satisfied; 
but that before any part of our earnings is con- 
sumed^ we take out and present to him that por- 
tion which he claims. " The gratitude-offering, 
commanded under the law, is," says Dr. Clarke. 
" of endless obligation. Whatever God sends us 
in the way of secular prosperity, there is a por^ 
tion of it always for the poor and for God's 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



221 



cause. When that portion is thus disposed of, 
the rest is sanctified ; when it is withheld, God's 
curse is upon the whole. 5 ' This, then, is the 
Scriptural doctrine. God reserves to himself 
some portion of all that we receive; and his 
claim takes precedence of any and every other 
claim, and must be first discharged, at whatever 
cost or sacrifice, in order to secure his appro- 
bation. 

We have now reached a point at which we 
may advantageously consider a question which 
often troubles the heart of the youthful dis- 
ciple. Intensely desirous to please God al- 
ways, and in all things, he is often led anx- 
iously to inquire, What is the extent of the 
Divine claim upon my property? and what 
proportion of my income ought to be conse- 
crated to purposes of beneficence? There are 
unquestionably recorded examples and precept- 
ive utterances in the Holy Scriptures, which 
are designed to furnish a satisfactory answer to 
these inquiries. 

The first instance to which we refer relates to the 
conduct of the father of the faithful. It appears 
that after his return from a successful military 
enterprise, Abram was met by Melchizedek, who 



222 



COUNSELS TC CONVERTS. 



was King of Salem, and the priest of the most 
high God, who " brought forth bread and wine" 
for his refreshment, and who blessed him in 
the name of that God who had given him the 
victory over his enemies, and delivered them 
into his hand. « And," it is added, " he gave 
him tithes of all"— that is, he gave him a 
tenth part of all the spoils he had taken from 
the confederate kings. "These Abram gave," 
says a distinguished commentator, " as a tribute 
to the most high God, who, being the possessor 
of heaven and earth, dispenses all spiritual and 
temporal favors, and demands the gratitude and 
submissive, loving obedience of all his subjects. 
Almost all nations of the earth have agreed in 
giving a tenth part of their property to he em- 
ployed in religious uses'' 

The vow which Jacob made, while on his way 
to Padan-Aram, will furnish us with another 
illustration. This young man, staff in hand, left 
his father's house to go unto his mother's kin- 
dred, seeking for fortune and domestic felicity. 
He had before him a long and perilous journey, 
through barren and inhospitable regions. " And 
he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there 
all night, because the sun was set ; and he took 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



223 



of the stones of that place, and put them for his 
pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.' 5 
But glorious visions disturbed his slumbers. 
He saw a ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, 
with the angels of God's good providence ascend- 
ing and descending on it. And the God of Abra- 
ham blessed him, and promised him enlargement 
and prosperity. Then Jacob reared an altar, 
and called the name of the place Bethel, saying, 
u This is none other but the house of God, and 
this is the gate of heaven." "And Jacob 
vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, 
and will keep me in this way that I go, and 
will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put 
en, so that I come again to my father's house in 
peace; then shall the Lord be my Gocl; and 
this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be 
God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I 
will surely give the tenth unto tliee" The patri- 
arch enters into covenant relation with Jehovah. 
He assumes the obligations of religious worship. 
And among other things he engages to conse- 
crate a tenth part of his possessions to sacred 
uses, as if this was a distinctly-understood re- 
quirement of the Divine Being. Such was the 
belief and practice of the Patriarchal age. 



224 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



But we are not left to learn our duty in 
the light of these examples, albeit, they are im- 
portant, illustrious, and memorable. God has 
given us a law which is too plain to be misap- 
prehended. It is in these words: "And all the 
tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the 
land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's : 
it is holy unto the Lord.". Here God makes a 
reservation of the tithe ; or, as Dr. Clarke ob- 
serves, "this God claims as his own; and it 
is spoken of here as being a point perfectly 
settled, and concerning which there was neither 
doubt nor difficulty." This is no part of the 
ceremonial law, which was fulfilled or done away 
in Christ. The use to be made of the tithe 
under the Jewish system was determined by 
their ritual, and with that we have nothing to 
do ; but its obligation is universal ; it is a claim 
of religion, and survives all modes of worship. 
It is Jehovah's unrepealed law, and has just the 
same force, and imposes just the same obliga- 
tion as any other statute of the Divine code. 
The tithe "is the Lord's;" it is "holy," because 
reserved— it belongs to God. Language strikingly 
similar is used in regard to the Sabbath : " The 
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



225 



One seventh part of our time, and one tenth 
part of our income, "is holy unto the Lord.' 5 
God makes an absolute reservation of these por- 
tions of our time and money; and to devote 
them to selfish or profane uses is to rob the Al- 
mighty. 

Let no one suppose, however, that the tithe is 
to be the measure of our Christian liberality. 
It was by no means all that the Jew gave, and 
certainly the Christian should not give less than 
the Israelite. And, in this age of the Church, 
the multiplied calls of humanity and religion, 
the ever-increasing opportunities for usefulness, 
and the Providential openings for the evangeliza- 
tion of the world, demand princely offerings for 
the altars of our God. The New-Testament 
Scriptures do not reenact the law of the tithe 
any more than they do that of the Sabbath ; but 
the validity of both is assumed, and their deep 
spiritual import explained. And, as it is ex- 
pected that the Christian man, while he regards 
a seventh part of his time as sacredly devoted to 
religious uses, will also consecrate some portion 
of every day to the sublime exercise of worship 
and the ennobling labors of charity ; so likewise 
it is required not only that a tenth part of his 



226 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



income be faithfully set apart for the Church 
and the poor, but also that, in addition to this, 
he give "as God hath prospered him" — to the 
full extent of his ability — to advance the inter- 
ests of Christ's kingdom, and to render earth 
more like heaven. 

Swell systematic beneficence God promises to 
reward both with temporal prosperity and spirit- 
ual riches. 

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the 
Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The 
Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; 
and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and 
thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his 
enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon 
the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his 
bed in his sickness." " Trust in the Lord, and 
do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and 
verily thou shalt be fed." "Honor the Lord 
with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of 
all thine increase : so shall thy barns be filled 
with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with 
new wine." " There is that scattereth and yet 
increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more 
than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The 
liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that water- 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



227 



eth shall be watered also himself." "He that 
hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; 
and that which he hath given will he pay him 
again." " And if thou draw out thy soul to the 
hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall 
thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be 
as the noonday ; and the Lord shall guide thee 
continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and 
make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a 
watered garden, and like a spring of water, 
whose waters fail not." "Bring ye all the 
tithes into the storehouse, that there may be 
meat in my house ; and prove me now herewith, 
saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you 
the windows of heaven and pour you out a bless- 
ing that there shall not be room enough to 
receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for 
your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits 
of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her 
fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord 
of hosts." " Give, and it shall be given unto 
you — good measure, pressed down, and shaken 
together, and running over, shall men give into 
your bosom. Tor with the same measure that 
ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you 
again." "I have showed you all things, how 



228 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, 
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, 
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to 
receive." " Every man according as he pur- 
poseth in his heart, so let him give; not grudg- 
ingly, or of necessity ; for God loveth a cheerful 
giver. And God is able to make all grace 
abound toward you ; that ye, always having all 
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every 
good work." " For God is not unrighteous to 
forget your work and labor of love, which ye 
have showed toward his name, in that ye have 
ministered to the saints, and do minister." 

These promises are conditional. We have no 
right to claim them except we consider the poor, 
trust in the Lord, and do good, honor Jehovah 
with our substance, and with the first-fruits of 
all our increase, draw out our soul to the hun- 
gry and satisfy the afflicted soul, bring all our 
tithes and offerings into the house of God, min- 
ister to the saints, and give liberally and cheer- 
fully to promote every good word and work, 
scattering that we may increase, and conse- 
crating body and soul, time, talents, and posses- 
sions to the advancement of the kingdom and 
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



229 



If we meet these conditions, then ive shall re- 
alize true prosperity. We shall obtain all need- 
ful worldly good. We shall be delivered in 
time of trouble, preserved, and blessed upon 
the earth. We shall be sustained in trials, and 
made happy in afflictions. Our barns will be 
filled with plenty, and our presses burst out 
with new wine. The Lord will rebuke the de- 
vourer for our sakes, and our fields shall bring 
forth abundantly. That which we have given 
to the poor the Lord will pay us again; and, 
as we have watered others, he will water us 
from on high. Our light shall rise in obscurity, 
and our darkness shall be as the noonday. He 
will guide us continually, satisfy our souls, 
make fat our bones, and fill our hearts over- 
flowingly full of his goodness and grace. He will 
remember our work and labor of love, even the 
cup of cold water given in the name of a dis- 
ciple, and will so abundantly bless us in all our 
relations and circumstances, that we, having al- 
ways all sufficiency in all things, shall abound 
unto every good work. His promises have 
never failed, and they never will. 

We have seen how Jacob entered into cove- 
nant with the Most High, to worship the God of 



230 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



his fathers, and to bring unto him those tithes 
and offerings which the Patriarchal religion re- 
quired. He was then a youth, driven from 
home and friends by the vindictive malice of an 
angry brother, going forth alone to try his for- 
tunes in the world, and pressed by every consid- 
eration which is calculated to render one provi- 
dent, economic, and wise in matters of expenditure. 
But he said, "I will surely give the tenth unto 
thee" He doubtless remembered his vow, for 
God honored and prospered him; and, in after 
years, when he returned to his own country 
with numerous herds and flocks, as he approached 
the Jordan, and recalled all the mercy and love 
of his Heavenly Father, he gratefully exclaimed, 
" 0 God of my father Abraham, and God of my 
father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, 
Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, 
and I will deal well with thee. I am not worthy 
of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth 
which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for 
with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now 
I am become two bands." And not only was he 
blessed with this worldly prosperity, but he 
wrestled with the Angel of the Covenant and 
prevailed. He obtained the new name of Is- 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 231 

rael, because as a prince he had power with 
God and with men. "A special providence," 
says an excellent writer, " superintended his af- 
fairs down to old age, and on his dying-couch 
he beautifully characterized his Divine Benefac- 
tor by the following expression: 'The God 
which fed me all my life-long unto this day.' " 

When a mighty famine prevailed in Israel, 
the Lord commanded a poor widow of Zare- 
phath to sustain the prophet Elijah. But to his 
entreaty, "Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of 
bread in thy hand," she was obliged to respond, 
"As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a 
cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and 
a little oil in a cruise ; and, behold, I am gath- 
ering two sticks, that I go in and dress it for 
me and my son, that we may eat it and die." 
But Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go and 
do as thou hast said; but make me thereof 
a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and 
after make for thee and thy son. For thus 
saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal 
shall not waste, neither shall the cruise of oil 
fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain 
upon the earth. And she went and did accord- 
ing to the saying of Elijah; and she and he, 



232 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and her house, did eat many days. And the 
barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruise 
of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, 
which he spake by Elijah." And not only was 
this pious woman and her house saved, through 
this act of beneficence, from starvation; but 
when her son was smitten by sickness, till 
"there was no breath left in him," Elijah 
prayed, "and the soul of the child came into him 
again, and he revived ;" so that the woman said, 
" Now, by this I know that thou art a man of 
God, and that the word of the Lord in thy 
mouth is truth." 

Cornelius had a vision of an angel of God, re- 
ceived a visit from an apostle, heard the glad ti- 
dings of the Gospel proclaimed, and experienced 
a baptism of the Holy Spirit, because he was a 
man " which gave much alms to the people, and 
prayed to God alway." The angel greeted him 
with the declaration, " Thy prayers and thy alms 
are come up for a memorial before God." 

We refer to some more modern examples. 
The author of "The Successful Merchant" re- 
marks of Mr. Samuel Buclgett, the distinguished 
subject of that charming memoir : " The sum of 
his benevolence can never be known; he did 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



233 



not, till late in life, fix on a proportion of in- 
come as the minimum of his gifts ; when he did, 
the proportion was one-sixth. Of course he did 
not resolve to give away only that, but to give 
away that at least. Had he been doubtful as to 
the extent of his givings, he would unquestion- 
ably have fixed a proportion earlier; but he 
knew well that all he had was tithed, and more. 
One week he kept account of all he had given ; 
it amounted to sixty pounds ; and he kept that 
account no more ; but that week was consider- 
ably above the average. A man with a heart 
restlessly desiring to do good, may go on without 
fixing a proportion, and yet certainly bestow a 
fit amount of his gains ; but there are few who 
would not be astounded at the small proportions 
their givings bear to their income, if they tested 
them for a year. Most men need, for their 
own sake, to fix a minimum, and that minimum 
should not be less than one-tenth. I have known, 
many who early in life have adopted this prin- 
ciple ; and where it has been steadily maintained, 
a blessing seems ever to follow it" 

In another place he observes: "John Wes- 
ley, in his powerful sermon on the use of money, 
lays down these three rules : Make all you can ; 



234 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



save ail you can ; give all you can. Samuel 
Budgett's natural dispositions, early habits, and 
intentions for life, all prepared him to accept 
these principles. To make, to save, to give, he 
set himself. To make without saving is useless 
and absurd. To save without giving is covet- 
ousness and idolatry. To make and then save 
is wise. To save and then give is Christian. 
Samuel had now well habituated himself to all 
these three habits. He maintained them to the 
last. Their acquisition in his youth was more 
to him than if he had started with ten thousand 
pounds" 

The biographer of the devoted Harlan Page 
remarks, that "he not only turned his eye away 
from the accumulation of property as the object 
of his life, but felt the duty, and claimed the 
blessedness to his own soul, of imparting to 
the cause of Christ a portion of what he had. 
On his dying-bed he mentioned to Mrs. Page 
that five dollars, which before his sickness he 
had subscribed to a benevolent object, remained 
unpaid. 4 We have consecrated it to God,' said 
he, ' and I had rather it would be paid. You 
had better pay it, and trust him.' His trust 
was not misplaced. After his decease a few 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 



235 



friends, who had known and loved him as a 
faithful servant of Jesus Christ; made a subscrip- 
tion for the benefit of his widow and children, 
which amounted to 82,000. Behold the good- 
ness and mercy of a covenant-keeping God !" 

The following passage is quoted in a letter, 
written by that prince of merchants and philan- 
thropists, Amos Lawrence : " The good there is 
in riches lieth all together in their use, like the 
woman's box of ointment ; if it be not broken 
and the contents poured out for the refresh- 
ment of Jesus Christ, in his distressed members, 
they lose their worth; the covetous man may, 
therefore, truly write upon his rusting heaps, 
6 These are good for nothing. 7 He is not rich 
who lays up much, but he who lays out much ; 
for it is all one not to have, as not to use. I will, 
therefore, be the richer by charitably laying out, 
while the worldling will be poorer by his covetous 
hoarding up." Mr. Lawrence adds : " Here is 
the embodiment of a volume, and whoever wrote 
it deserves the thanks of good men. I would 
fain be rich, according as he defines riches ; 
but possession, possession is the devil, as the old 

Frenchman at said to George Cabot. 

This devil I would try to cast out; you will, 



236 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



therefore, please send me twelve hundred dol- 
lars, which may do something for the comfort 
of those who have seen better days." 

It was considerations such as these which led 
this noble man, who was the artificer of his own 
fortune, to expend seven hundred thousand dol- 
lars for the benefit of his fellows ; or, as he 
himself expresses it, "in making other people 
happy." If charitable laying out, and not self- 
ish hoarding up, be the true wealth, then Amos 
LawTence is one of heaven's millionaires, having 
amassed stores of imperishable riches. He is 
an illustrious example of Christian liberality. 

" Better than riches or the robes of pride, 
Are the bright graces of the pure in heart. 
The clay walls of the prison crumble down, 
Earth to her breast receives the cast-off robe ; 
But acts of goodness, oft in secret done, 
Unasked-for visitations to the dens 
Where mute remorse lies housed with pleading woe, 
Embalm their memory for evermore ; 
And heavenly harp-strings by angelic hand3 
Are grandly swept, when their enfranchised souls 
Soar upward, lark-like, to the better land." 

There are numerous instances of systematic 
beneficence to which we should be glad to direct 
the attention of youthful Christians; but w^e 
must refer them to the many excellent works 



SYSTEMATIC BENEFICENCE. 237 



which have lately been published on this sub- 
ject. They will find that, while intelligent be- 
lievers, in every age, have recognized the obli- 
gation of the tithe, many have gone far beyond 
its requirements, and have devoted to charitable 
uses twenty, thirty, and even fifty per cent, of 
their entire income; while a few have reached 
the stand-point of the indomitable Wesley, and 
consecrated their all to God. 

Young converts, resolve not only to imitate 
these examples, but to be yourselves models of 
Christian liberality. Determine, in the begin- 
ning of your religious life, that, at least, one 
dollar of every ten you receive shall be given 
to your Divine Lord. Steadily increase this 
proportion, as your business enlarges, and your 
income augments. Fix the amount now, be- 
yond which you will not accumulate ; and if, in 
the order of Providence, you ever acquire that 
sum, then dedicate your entire earnings to suf- 
fering humanity, and to the God of the Bible. 

If you pursue this course it will dignify your 
whole secular life; it will bring upon you the 
blessings of the Most High, both in your tem- 
poral and spiritual interests ; it will enable you 
to be largely useful in the world, exerting an 



238 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



influence for good after you have gone to your 
grave; it will open in your breast the sweetest 
springs of happiness ever experienced by mor- 
tals ; it will liberalize and ennoble your whole 
nature, putting you in sympathy with every 
grand and generous endeavor in all the earth; 
it will render you a worthy disciple of that Di- 
vine Master, who gave his life for a ruined 
race, "leaving us an example that we should 
follow his steps and it will secure you the ap- 
proval of Heaven in that great day of destiny, 
when men shall be judged according to their 
works. 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



239 



CHAPTER XVII. 

REFORM MOVEMENTS. 

As Christians, we sustain relations, not only 
to the Church, but to the world ; and we owe 
duties as well to the latter as to the former. 
We are interested in every thing which concerns 
the human, brotherhood, and we are bound to 
make all reasonable exertions to promote the 
common welfare. To relieve the miseries of our 
fellows, to enlighten their ignorance, to break 
from their limbs the bands of oppression, to de- 
liver them from the iron power of vicious habits, 
to secure for them a higher and nobler social po- 
sition, to enlarge their capabilities and increase 
their happiness— these are objects which must 
always be dear to the heart of every follower of 
Jesus. The Christian is, in the very genius of 
his profession, a reformer; but he is not neces- 
sarily an anarchist, or a revolutionist; he cer- 
tainly is not a misanthropist, or an infidel 
Changes, and very great changes, may often be 
required to advance the cause of truth and right- 



240 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



eousness, and improve the condition of society ; 
but we must remember that "innovation is not 
reform/' and that changes may be made for the 
worse, as well as for the better. 

It is important that you, as young Christians, 
should be able early to distinguish between the 
true and the false, the genuine reform and the 
perilous innovation. For the question, whether 
or not you will be identified with certain move- 
ments and organizations, professedly designed 
and adapted to benefit society, is one which de- 
mands an immediate and peremptory decision. 
If they are what they claim to be, you can not 
consistently withhold from them your sympathy 
and support; but if, on the other hand, they 
have no foundation in principle, no actuating 
spirit of beneficence, and no capacity to promote 
the wellbeing of mankind, then you do not wish 
to be made the subject of a cruel imposition. 
And there is no reason why you should mistake 
your duty. You have an infallible guide. " All 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc- 
tion, for instruction in righteousness; that the 
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fur- 
nished unto all good works." You must make 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



241 



your appeal to this Inspired Record. A "thus 
saith the Lord" will he an imperative and suffi- 
cient direction. What God's Word forbids you 
must labor to extirpate; what that Word re- 
quires you must seek to promote. The former 
is Heaven-sanctioned radicalism ; the latter is 
Divinely-authorized conservatism. The instruc- 
tions of that Word are comprehensive, and 
adapted to every possible complication of social 
interests. You can subject every proposed 
course of conduct, and every alleged reform to 
the unerring judgment of Inspiration. The 
Bible is the wisdom of God applied to human 
affairs ; and all true reforms rest on this un- 
shaken and immovable basis. That is false and 
ruinous in its tendencies, however specious and 
seemingly advantageous, which is denounced in 
the Holy Scriptures ; and that is true, and for 
the wellbeing of society, though apparently un- 
reasonable and deleterious in its character, on 
which is placed the broad seal of the Divine 
approbation. 

Is it proposed to destroy the institution of 
the family, to subvert the entire order of so- 
ciety, to abolish all human governments, and 
sweep away all Church organizations ? The in- 



242 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS, 



fallible teachings of Revelation declare that these 
are not genuine reforms, beneficent in their na- 
ture, and designed to promote God's glory and 
man's good; but the base counterfeits of infi- 
delity, originated on purpose to beguile, betray, 
and ruin immortal souls. 

Is it proposed to remove the curse of intem- 
perance, and prohibit the infernal traffic in in- 
toxicating drinks? The Christian knows that 
no drunkard can inherit the kingdom of God, 
and that the Bible denounces a fearful woe on 
him who putteth the bottle to his neighbor's 
lips. He can not doubt, therefore, in regard to 
the character of this movement, nor question 
the obligation resting upon him to promote 
temperance and godliness in the earth. 

Is it proposed to give liberty to those who 
are enslaved, to give the Bible to those who 
are in heathenish ignorance, to restore the de- 
lights and sanctities of the family relation to 
those who are reduced to a state of legal con- 
cubinage, and to recognize as men those who 
are made in the image of God, but who are de- 
clared, by an infamous statute, to be " goods 
and chattels, to all intents, purposes, and con- 
structions whatever?" The follower of Christ 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 243 

can not forget that he is commanded to " re- 
member them that are in bonds, as bound with 
them" — "to loose the bands of wickedness, to 
undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed 
go free." His duty, therefore, is plain. As he 
loves God, he is the friend of man. And against 
a system so dishonoring to Jehovah, so degrad- 
ing to humanity, so contrary to the Gospel, and 
so diabolical in its results, he must array all the 
influence and energy with which he is endowed. 

These may serve as illustrations. Whatever 
is suggested as a reform you must learn to judge 
by the Bible standard. The Gospel itself is the 
great reform, for which no substitute can be de- 
vised. It is the genus; all particular reforms 
are the species — parts of a grand, harmonious 
whole. But whatever is inconsistent with its 
spirit, opposed to its gracious designs, subver- 
sive of its economy, or an impediment in the 
way of its progress and triumph, is not a reform, 
but a dangerous innovation, destined to result, 
if it obtain general countenance and support, in 
wide-spread devastation and ruin. And those 
who ignore its beneficent provisions, disregard 
its teachings, and deny its authority — who pro- 
pose to reform society and save a lost world in- 



244 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



dependent of its mercy and grace, and without 
the aid of its transforming power, are not the 
servants of Christ, but the accredited agents 
and ministers of Satatn. 

Having determined what are reforms, you 
should labor to promote them with the utmost 
fearlessness and courage. 

Reformative action is always attended by loss, 
sacrifice, and peril. It always provokes opposi- 
tion, calumny, and hatred. It always demands 
that love of ease, selfish interests, and the lust- 
ings of ambition should be held in subjection 
to its own paramount claims. Whoever, there- 
fore, initiates or prosecutes such action will en- 
counter the fierce antagonism of morbid con- 
servatives, and of all whose craft is endangered 
by the proposed changes. The former class for- 
get that a " fro ward retention of custom is as 
turbulent a thing as an innovation," and that 
"if time alters things to the worse, and wis- 
dom and counsel shall not alter them to the 
better," society will not only not advance, but 
will absolutely retrograde. The latter class 
are essentially selfish and corrupt. They are 
ready to sacrifice whatever is dearest to man, or 
most highly prized by God, on the smoking al- 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



245 



altars of their own despicable greed. They min- 
ister to the depraved appetites and passions of 
their fellows, make merchandise of their bodies 
and souls, reduce their children to beggary or 
serfdom, mock at widow's tears and orphan's 
cries, impoverish communities and bankrupt 
States, betray their country and blaspheme Je- 
hovah, that they may secure ungodly gains, 
gather to themselves heaps of glittering gold, 
secure the gratification of their darling lusts, 
or obtain the questionable honors of distin- 
guished position. " License they mean when 
they cry Liberty." 

From such characters philanthropists and re- 
formers must always expect abuse and outrage. 
They must learn to disregard their complain- 
ings and execrations, and move steadily on for 
the accomplishment of the good at which they 
aim, submitting their lives and labors to the 
dispassionate judgment of future ages, and ex- 
pecting final vindication and triumph through 
the overruling providence and just judgment of 
the Almighty Disposer of all things. "It is 
delightful to remember," says Andrews Norton, 
" that there have been men who, in the cause 
of truth and virtue, have made no compromises 



246 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 

for their own advantage or safety; who have 
recognized 'the hardest duty as the highest;' 
who, conscious of the possession of great tal- 
ents, have relinquished all the praise that was 
within their grasp, all the applause which they 
might have so liberally received, if they had 
not thrown themselves in opposition to the er- 
rors and vices of their fellow-men, and ha*re 
been content to take obloquy and insult instead; 
who have approached to lay on the altar of 
God < their last infirmity.' They, without doubt, 
have felt that deep conviction of having acted 
right, which supported the martyred philoso- 
pher of Athens, when he asked, 'What disgrace 
is it to me if others are unable to judge of me, 
or to treat me as they ought?' There is some- 
thing very solemn and sublime in the feeling 
produced by considering how differently these 
men have been estimated by their cotempora- 
ries, from the manner in which they are re- 
garded by God. We perceive the appeal which 
lies from the ignorance, the folly, and the iniq- 
uity of man, to the throne of Eternal Justice. 
A storm of calumny and reviling has too' often 
pursued them through life, and continued, when 
they could no longer feel it, to beat upon their 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



247 



graves. But it is no matter. They have gone 
where all who have suffered, and all who have 
triumphed in the same noble cause, receive their 
reward, but where the wreath of the martyr is 
more glorious than that of the conqueror/' 

Such dauntless and heroic reformers as John 
Milton, Martin Luther, and Algernon Sydney 
must have been greatly comforted in poverty, 
imprisonment, and death, by reflections of this 
character. And whoever engages in earnest 
efforts to prosecute any reform, however salu- 
tary or necessary, will need all the support and 
encouragement which can be furnished by these 
and kindred considerations. 

More inimical to human progress than even 
this malignant opposition are the enervating in- 
fluences of worldly prosperity and official pro- 
motion. Reformers are not always met with 
hatred and defiance. Sometimes they are flat- 
tered, seduced, and betrayed. They are coaxed 
into silence ; they are smothered with protesta- 
tions of friendship; their mouths are stopped 
with governmental loaves and fishes ; they are 
lifted to the high places of power, and trans- 
muted at once into placemen and parasites. 
They take the seals of office, and the reformer's 



248 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



ax drops from their nerveless hands; they 
gather about them their palatial robes, and 
every radical feature is effectually concealed; 
they find it convenient to ignore their early 
record, or ask that it may be excused in view 
of their poverty and obscurity ; and they prove 
their devotion to party, their gratitude for place 
and distinction, and the genuineness of their 
conversion, by heaping obloquy and insult upon 
their old associates and companions in labors 
and tribulations. Many who, in the beginning, 
are sincere and earnest, grow weary of pro- 
tracted effort and ceaseless turmoil, and sigh for 
repose. They are smitten with the charms of 
the castle of Indolence ; they shut their drowsy 
eyes, and dream of fireside comforts, of ele- 
gant leisure, and of the ripe, autumnal fruits of 
opulence and ambition. With this wanton spell 
upon him, the heroic reformer, who was an 
Ajax in the fight, who gave "a blow in every 
thought," and who proclaimed, in trumpet tones, 
that "where the share is deepest driven the 
best fruits grow," becomes a poor, emasculated 
creature, whose desiccated form, like a mummy 
from an Egyptian tomb, only reminds us that 
there was once a man. 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



249 



You who have lately started in the service 
of God will be often approached by those who 
will counsel you not to.be righteous overmuch, 
not to attempt what is impracticable and impos- 
sible, not to be too vehement in rebuking fash- 
ionable and profitable sins, not to attack un- 
thinkingly hoary and venerable errors, not to 
array your energies against formidable institu- 
tions, deeply intrenched in the prejudices and 
sedulously guarded by the interests of mankind, 
however diabolical may be their character— and 
not, in fine, to act the part of a disturber and a 
revolutionist, but to be wary and considerate in 
all your movements. Such counsels are calcu- 
lated to mislead and betray. Prudence and 
discretion are, indeed, Christian virtues; but 
timidity, cowardice, and selfishness never char- 
acterized a true follower of J esus Christ. There 
are no compromises in the Gospel, no careful 
adjustments of the relative claims of sin and 
holiness, no indulgence for any species of un- 
godliness, though it may wear the flaunting 
robes of wealth and pride, or lift up a mitered 
head—and no sweet words of forbearance and 
charity for persistently-impenitent and incor- 
rigible transgressors. 



250 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



The Son of God was manifested that he 
might draw all men unto him; but he came, 
nevertheless, not to send peace on earth, but a 
sword. His followers must walk in the light of 
his glorious example, and, at whatever sacrifice 
of ease or reputation, at whatever peril of prop- 
erty or life, at whatever cost of labors or suffer- 
ings, must maintain the reformative doctrines 
- of his Gospel, push the triumphs of his cross, 
extend the borders of his kingdom, and, against 
all sin and all ungodliness, wage a relentless 
and exterminating warfare. 

We ought, however, to observe that reforms 
should he prosecuted in a spirit of unvarying 
kindness and love. 

Nothing is ever gained by bitterness and as- 
perity, and no good can result from an evil and 
contentious disposition. Reformers are not de- 
structives ; they do not seek to ruin, but to 
save ; and if they raze to the earth that which 
has been highly esteemed and loved, it is that 
they may build, on broader and securer founda- 
tions, a more excellent and splendid structure. 
To produce a better state of things, with as little 
loss, derangement, and discomfort as possible, 
is the object, and the only object, which they 



REFORM MOVEMENTS, 



251 



aim to accomplish. The reformer must be de- 
cided, resolute, and unflinching ; but bis firm- 
ness must not degenerate into obstinacy, nor 
his sternness into acrimony. He may be as 
gentle and sweet-spirited as a child, while he 
does the work of a giant or a Titan. From 
long and familiar contemplation of the evils of 
society, he may be in danger of imbibing a sour 
and censorious spirit, and of seeming to gloat 
with grim and terrible satisfaction over the vices 
and follies of his fellow-men. He should re- 
member that " old Goodness," according to the 
fine conceit of the poet, "hath a charmed life," 
and that the long-suffering of Jehovah teaches 
those who aspire to be his fellow-laborers an 
unmistakable lesson of forbearance and love. 

Rev. A. Stevens, in the first volume of his 
"History of Methodism," remarks of the dis- 
tinguished founder " of the people called Meth- 
odists," that, "moving as he did amid mobs 
and tumults, no man in public life ever main- 
tained more self-recollection or a finer sense 
of order. He abhorred disputation, and even 
controversy. He contemned the vulgar idea 
that rudeness is essential to energy, or an an- 
archical spirit to the heroism of great reformers. 



252 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



He repressed, with calm, but prompt determina- 
tion, any appearance of such a spirit among his 
associates. When in Scotland, viewing the ruins 
of Aberbrotheck, < God deliver us/ he exclaimed, 
' from reforming mobs !' He acknowledged the 
usefulness of John Knox, but reprobated his 
spirit. <I know/ he wrote, 6 it is commonly 
said the work to be done needed such a spirit. 
Not so 1 , the work of God does not, can not need 
the work of the devil to forward it ; and a calm, 
even spirit goes through rough work better than 
a furious one. Although, therefore, God did 
use, at the time of the Reformation, some over- 
bearing, passionate men, yet he did not use them 
because they were such, but notwithstanding they 
were so; and there is no doubt he would have 
used them much more had they been of a hum- 
bler, milder spirit/" "The proverbial con- 
servatism of Methodism," according to the same 
elegant author, "notwithstanding its equally- 
proverbial energy, has been owing about as 
much to the impression which Wesley's personal 
character has left upon its ministry, as to the 
discipline which he gave it." 

His denunciations of sin, and every species of 
ungodliness, were unsparing and terrible. He 



REEOKM MOVEMENTS. 



253 



showed no indulgence to falsehood or impurity. 
Whatever was dishonoring to God or inimical to 
man he visited with fierce and withering rebukes. 
The rich, and titled, and honored— the rulers 
and senators of the people enjoyed no exemp- 
tion from that righteous condemnation which he 
visited upon all transgressors of the law of 
God. 

The scribes and Pharisees, who bound heavy 
burdens on men's shoulders, but would not 
touch them themselves with the tips of their 
fingers; who loved the uppermost rooms at 
feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues, but 
who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, 
neither going in themselves, nor permitting 
others to enter ; who, for a pretense, made long 
prayers, but secretly devoured widows' houses ; 
who compassed sea and earth to make one 
proselyte, but left him more than ever the child 
of hell ; who paid tithe of mint, and anise, and 
cummin, but omitted the weightier matters of 
the law, judgment, mercy, and truth ; who made 
clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but 
practiced the grossest extortion and excess ; 
who were like whited sepulchers, beautiful out- 
wardly, but within full of dead men's bones and 



254 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



all uncleanness; who appeared to men to be 
upright and religious, building the tombs of the 
prophets, and garnishing the sepulchers of the 
righteous, but whose hearts were charged to 
overflowing with deceit and iniquity — these were 
denounced by our Savior as formalists, hypo- 
crites, fools, blind guides, serpents, a generation 
of vipers, an accursed race, doomed to the dam- 
nation of hell. 

These awful denunciations they richly de- 
served; for they closed their ears to the glo- 
rious utterances of the prophets, to listen to the 
voice of their own traditions; they contended 
so vehemently for Abraham and Moses, that 
they ignored and rejected Jesus Christ; they 
clung so pertinaciously to ancient precedents 
and established authorities, that they were not 
prepared to receive the new and better covenant, 
but spurned the richest proclamation of mercy 
and love ever made to man, because marked by 
irregularities and attended by startling innova- 
tions; they fixed their gaze so earnestly on 
those institutions which were appointed either 
to pass away, or to be completed and perfected 
by the Gospel, that they were blinded to the 
glories of that undimmed radiance which now 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



255 



began to streak the horizon, and which was des- 
tined to illumine, with fadeless splendor, the 
whole heavens. And they did this, not as the 
result of excusable ignorance, but from the 
force of selfish and corrupt motives. They had 
position, and influence, and authority, and they 
were content with the established order of things. 
They had no sympathy with the perishing multi- 
tude who heard Jesus gladly, and they had no 
disposition to promote changes which might de- 
prive them of wealth and power and honorable 
distinctions. They would not enter the king- 
dom of heaven themselves, and they suffered 
not others to enter. They were opposed to the 
Gospel reform ; they sought to extinguish the re- 
vival flame; they resolved t.o crush out the pes- 
tilent heresy, and to roll back the tide of human 
progress. They deserved, therefore, the wither- 
ing rebukes of our Lord, and the fate which 
they provoked and realized is full of admonition 
and instruction for all ages. 

Let it be observed, however, that these same 
sinners, so terribly threatened and so fearfully 
punished, were made by our Savior the objects 
of tender solicitude, and of unwearied labors for 
their salvation. He wept on their dark path- 



256 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



way; he yearned over them in boundless com- 
passion and love, exclaiming, of the Holy City, 
" How often would I have gathered thy chil- 
dren together, even as a hen gathereth her 
chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" 
He called no fire from heaven to consume them, 
when opposed, and persecuted, and blasphemed ; 
but even on the cross, when they " reviled him, 
wagging their heads," he cried, " Father, forgive 
them, for they know not what they do!" and 
superior to mockery and scourgings, and the in- 
famy and anguish of crucifixion, he died for Us 
murderers. 

The Christian reformer ought never to forget 
the cheerful submission of Jesus to sufferings in 
order to secure the triumph of the truth, and to 
consummate the grand purpose which brought 
him into the world. 

When he began to show unto his disciples that 
he must " suffer many things," and "be killed," 
we are told that Peter rebuked him, saying, 
"Be it far from thee, Lord ;" or, as Mr. Wes- 
ley translates, "Favor thyself, Lord." But our 
Savior was so far from taking this counsel, that 
he exclaims to Peter, "Get thee behind me, 
Satan ; thou art an offense unto me ; for thou 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



257 



savoresfc not the things which be of God, but 
the things that be of men." And he proceeds 
to teach that all who would be his followers, in- 
stead of listening to the suggestions of the flesh, 
and the world, and scaring themselves, must be- 
gin their Christian life with an act of self-re- 
nunciation, and thenceforth bear their cross and 
walk in his footsteps, being assured that to 
save one's life, or to gain the whole world, is no 
compensation for the loss of the soul, or of that 
reward which the Son of man will give when he 
comes in the glory of his Father to establish 
his eternal kingdom. And, most assuredly, 
-whoever attempts any great work of reform 
will need something of that spirit which caused 
the Lord Jesus to yearn for his anticipated bap- 
tism of sweat, and tears, and blood, that the 
transcendently-important and incomparably-glo- 
rious objects of his mission might be accom- 
plished. 

We conclude this discussion with a few gen- 
eral observations. 

The age in which we live is one which calls 

for reformatory action. The blazing light of the 

nineteenth century, which shines upon us, serves 

to disclose not only the heroic and memorable 
17 



258 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



achievements of patriots and philanthropists who 
have labored to secure human progress, but also, 
with equal distinctness, what remains to be per- 
formed in behalf of the suffering and oppressed. 

Intemperance still continues its ravages, and 
we are summoned to earnest and protracted ef- 
forts to remove the desolating curse. The con- 
flict with interest, and appetite, and unholy 
habit will be fierce and deadly; but "the peace 
is theirs who lift their swords in such a just and 
charitable war.' 5 

Idolatrous and despotic powers and institu- 
tions still rise, like mighty barriers, to prevent 
the progress and triumph of the Gospel ; and so- 
cial wrongs still exist, which, born of ignorance 
and vice, cause myriad hearts to bleed, and 
darken the future of the Church and the world 
with dismal apprehensions and dreary forebod- 
ings. The abounding juvenile depravity which 
breaks out in multiplied offenses against the 
laws, the prevalent corruption of our great cities, 
the increased venality of political parties, the 
frauds and briberies attending every warmly- 
contested election, the multitudes, especially of 
females, who are driven by poverty into crime, 
the unwholesome example of many who are in 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



259 



the high, places of influence and authority — 
these are facts which may well cause the heart 
of the Christian to throb with anxiety, and the 
reflections which they excite may justly lead 
him to profound sympathy and diligent coopera- 
tion with all practicable efforts to remove these 
evils, and to produce an improved condition of 
things, 

But the gigantic crime of American society, 
the gross abomination of our land and age has 
been oppression. As a nation we have been 
guilty of the wickedness and meanness of rob- 
bing three millions of men, women, and children 
of that which is dearest to them of all things 
on earth — their freedom. We have deprived 
them of political rights; we have made them 
the victims of social ostracism for no other 
reason than color ; we have closed against them 
every possible avenue to knowledge, and taken 
from them all means for mental improvement; 
we have wrenched from their bosoms their 
wives and daughters, and consigned them to the 
embrace of a brutal libertinism ; we have doomed 
their posterity to the same cruel bondage, with- 
out any hope of ultimate deliverance ; we have 
withheld from them that religious instruction 



260 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and spiritual culture to which all are entitled as 
the redeemed of Jesus Christ ; and we have de- 
nied and crushed out their manhood, proclaim- 
ing them things, and not men, for all purposes 
except punishment on account of crime. We 
could not be guilty of such tremendous wicked- 
ness without bringing upon ourselves the curse 
of Almighty God. We have experienced his 
wrath. African slavery has impoverished, dis- 
tracted, and dishonored the whole country. It 
has debauched public men and political parties; 
it has cast its dark shadow across the path of 
every genial reform ; it has reproached our 
Christianity, and filled the mouths of gainsay- 
ers and infidels with specious arguments against 
the truth ; it has enervated and destroyed our 
great benevolent organizations, and rent our 
Churches asunder as by an avenging bolt from 
Heaven ; it has arrested the onward march of 
civilization by its organized barbarism and out- 
rageous crimes; it has been a source of perpet- 
ual disturbance and corruption, robbing us of 
domestic tranquillity, hindering the progress of 
art, science, and religion, making us blush on 
foreign shores, entailing upon our children a 
heritage of contention and shame, and putting 



REFORM MOVEMENTS 



261 



far off the eagerly-coveted period of the victo- 
rious and universal reign of the Son of God on 
earth; and it has, finally, plunged the nation 
into civil war, attempted the destruction of a 
wise and paternal government, and sacrificed 
millions of treasure and thousands of precious 
lives to satiate its lust of greed, aggrandizement, 
and oppression. 

The young convert can have no doubt m re- 
gard to the relation which he ought to sustain 
toward such sins as slavery, rebellion, and 
treason. He must array against them his wealth, 
influence, exertions, and prayers. He must con- 
secrate himself to the cause of justice and hu- 
manity, till the providence and grace of God 
shall bring in "the new earth and heaven." 

Such devotion to great reforms will, however, 
be attended by losses, sacrifices, reproaches, and 
contumelies of every kind. Friends will, m 
many instances, be alienated; enemies wdl, m 
every case, be enraged. Your motives will be 
misapprehended, your sufferings will be disre- 
garded, and your labors will be underrated and 
disparaged. You need not expect to escape in- 
sult and obloquy from your cotemporaries ; but 
you must submit your life and conduct, as Bacon 



262 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



did his fame, to the judgment of posterity. The 
friends of truth, freedom, and humanity may be 
proscribed and vilified by a corrupt and time- 
serving generation ; they may be branded as en- 
thusiasts and fanatics, deprived of official promo- 
tion in State and Church, bludgeoned, mobbed, 
and martyred ; but the men who are to come 
after us will certainly hold in greatest rever- 
ence, and most delight to honor the memories 
of those, who, 

"Wise, strenuous, firm, of unsubmitting soul, 
Have stemmed the torrent of a downward age 
To slavery prone, and bade it rise again 
In all the native pomp of freedom bold." 

And who, let me ask, would not prefer the 
honest fame of such men as Oberlin, Howard, 
and Wilberforce, to that of the most distin- 
guished captain who has won laurels on fields 
of blood, or that of the most illustrious states- 
man, who, by political power and diplomatic 
skill, has reigned supreme over cabinets and 
empires ? And, if we extend our vision into that 
great future which lies beyond the grave, who 
would not choose, above all things on earth or 
in heaven, the felicities, honors, and glories of 
those truly philanthropic and Christian men, 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



263 



who, while probation lasted, lived not to secure 
ease, and wealth, and earth-born distinctions ; 
but to ameliorate the condition, relieve the suf- 
ferings, elevate the destiny, and brighten the 
immortality of their fellow-men ? 

This philanthropic work is not without its en- 
couragements and consolations. It is like relig- 
ion, in that it is its own exceeding great reward. 
It is religion. It is living the life of the blessed 
Jesus, who went about doing good. It is over- 
coming selfishness by high considerations of 
duty and allegiance to humanity and God. It 
will enable you to reverence your own manhood; 
it will secure you appreciation and honor, if not 
from your co-temporaries, yet from posterity; it 
will call down upon you the blessings of the 
poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed; and, when 
the shadows of the final hour shall gather 
around you, the reflection that you have done 
something for your fellow-men will render you 
superior to death, furnish you with unfaihng 
comforts, make you confident to tread the silent 
valley, and bold to stand before the awful tribu- 
nal of Jehovah. 

The young and enthusiastic reformer must, 
however, bear in mind that great and beneficent 



264 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



changes can not be suddenly effected. The law 
of growth applies to all genuine reforms. They 
are not so much a creation as a development. 
They dawn upon the world like the breaking of 
the day — the mellow twilight preceding and 
- tempering to our vision the resplendent sun- 
burst. As the fervid Summer melts impercepti- 
bly into brown and sober Autumn — as childhood 
passes unperceived into stalwart youth and ri- 
pened manhood— so often are great reforms ac- 
complished. "It were good, therefore/' says 
Bacon, "that men, in their innovations, would 
follow the example of time itself, which, indeed, 
innovateth greatly, but quietly and by degrees 
scarce to be perceived." A modern author has ex- 
pressed this same thought with all that splendid 
elaboration of diction for which he is so justly re- 
nowned. "But while recognizing humanity as 
progressive," says Charles Sumner, "it is im- 
portant to consider a condition or limitation of 
this law which may justly temper the ardors of 
the reformer. Nothing is accomplished except 
by time and exertion. Nature abhors violence 
and suddenness. She does every thing slowly 
and by degrees. It is some time before the 
seed grows into the 'bright, consummate flower.' 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



265 



It is many years before the slender twig grows 
into the tree. It is slowly that we pass from in- 
fancy and imbecility to manhood and strength. 
And when w T e have arrived at this stage we are 
still subject to the same condition of nature. A 
new temperature, or a sudden stroke of light 
may shock us. Our frames are not made for 
extremes ; so that death may come, according to 
the poet's conceit, 'in aromatic pain.' 

" Gradual change is a necessary condition of 
the law of progress. It is only, according to 
the poetical phrase of Tacitus, per intervcdla ac 
spiramenta temporum — by intervals and breath- 
ings of time that we can hope to make a sure 
advance. Men grow and are trained in knowl- 
edge and in virtue ; but they can not be com- 
pelled into this path. This consideration teaches 
candor and charity toward all who do not yet 
see the truth as we do. It admonishes us, also, 
while keeping our eyes steadfast on the good 
which we seek to secure, to moderate our ex- 
pectations, and to be content to see the day of 
triumph postponed. 

"It is this essential condition of the law of 
progress that serves to reconcile movement with 
stability, and to preserve order even in change ; 



266 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



as in nature all projectile forces are checked 
and regulated by the law of inertia, and the 
centrifugal motion of the planets is restrained 
by the attraction of gravitation. In this prin- 
ciple of moderation, honestly pursued, from* nio- 
- tives of justice and benevolence, and promising 
'the well-ripened fruits of Arise delay,' we may 
find a proper conservatism, which, though it 
may not always satisfy our judgment, can never 
fail to secure our respect." 

We must learn, therefore, to labor and to 
wait. And we can do this with an abiding as- 
surance that the right will prevail, that no hon- 
est effort to advance the wellbeing of man can 
be wholly lost, that the world will finally recog- 
nize and honor its true benefactors, and that virtue 
and freedom are destined to an ultimate and glo- 
rious triumph. Because Christianity is the relig- 
ion of progress, because every thing beautiful and 
beneficent is within the scope of its promises, 
because it is diffusive and aggressive in its very 
nature, because of the might and majesty of 
Gospel institutions, and because of the immortal 
destiny of our race, we may rest assured that, 
" as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as 
the garden causeth the things that are sown in 



REFORM MOVEMENTS. 



267 



it to spring forth ; so the Lord God will cause 
righteousness and praise to spring forth before 
all the nations.*' 

" The outward rite, the old abuse, 

The pious fraud transparent grown, 
The good held captive in the use 
Of wrong alone — 

These wait their doom, from that great law 
"Which makes the past time serve to-day, 

And fresher life the world shall draw 
From their decay." 



268 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

REVIVAL EFFORTS. 

Christian experience is not for the mere 
purpose of enjoyment. It is designed to pro- 
mote personal happiness, but it is also designed 
to secure other and much more important re- 
sults. There is nothing selfish or isolated in a 
true religious life. It is instinct with benefi- 
cence. The very genius of the Gospel is diffu- 
sive and aggressive. Its nature is represented 
by the saving salt, the transforming leaven, and 
the bright, shining light which dispels all sur- 
rounding darkness. A man is no sooner con- 
verted than a desire springs up in his heart to 
go and tell some friend or companion what a 
dear Savior he has found ; and it is manifestly 
the Divine purpose that he should be an epistle 
of Jesus Christ, known and read of all men. 
He is converted that he may be a witness, a 
servant, a laborer, a soldier of the militant 
Church, testifying, working, and fighting for the 
kingdom and glory of our blessed Lord. 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



269 



Ton have recently been renewed, have felt 
this generous impulse to labor in the vineyard 
of your Divine Master throbbing in your souls. 
You have believed that God called you to the 
knowledge of his will, and filled your heart 
with sacred peace, that you might do something 
for a ruined world— that you might become 
sources of influence and power for the enlight- 
enment and salvation of your fellow-men. These 
are intimations of the Spirit which can not with 
safety be disregarded. 

It is unquestionably your duty to labor dili- 
gently and perseveringly to save the souls of all 
who can be reached by your prayers or personal 
exertions. 

We do not hesitate to affirm that this is a ne- 
cessity of your Christian life. It is impossible 
for you to retain the favor of God, and enjoy the 
communion of a Savior's love, and be regardless 
of the condition and neglectful of the interests 
of those who are perishing in their sins. It 
may be that you have already lost the ardors of 
your first love, and a strange coldness has crept 
over your spiritual senses, akin to the torpor of 
death. You marvel at this decrease of vital 
power. You miss the glow and animation of 



270 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



your earlier experience; you have a growing 
disrelish for the services of the Church, and an 
unaccountable reluctance to engage in religious 
duties. Yet you earnestly desire to escape from 
this spell of indifference— this death-like slug- 
• gishness of soul. There is but one effectual 
remedy. You must actively engage in personal 
efforts to save the souls of your fellow-men. 

You will find this both a stimulant and a tonic 

it will both excite and strengthen. You will be 
quickened and encouraged by these efforts to 
work out, with more earnestness, your own sal- 
vation. Your sympathies will be stirred, your 
energies aroused, your spiritual attainments in- 
definitely multiplied, and your whole nature in- 
spired with an unconquerable purpose to secure 
the victor's wreath and the immortal crown. 

There is a story told of a man who, while 
journeying on a wintery day through heaps of 
drifted snow, became so benumbed by the cold, 
that, despairing of deliverance, he resolved to 
cease his endeavors, even though he should be 
clasped to the fatal embrace of the frost-king. 
But when about to execute his purpose, he heard 
a groan, as of a human being in distress. He 
soon found a brother-traveler who was perishing 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



271 



from cold. It was the dictate of humanity to 
attempt his rescue. He roused him from his 
perilous slumber ; he chafed his ice-clad limbs ; 
he raised him to his feet, and bore him in frater- 
nal arms to a place of safety. Then the truth 
first flashed upon his mind that he had saved 
not only his neighbor, but his own life also. 
These beneficent efforts quickened the beating 
of his own heart, sent the blood bounding 
through his veins, brought out the genial glow 
upon the surface of the body, and created a 
healthy warmth in its most distant extremities. 
He saved himself through an office of charity 
and brotherly-kindness. 

You must pursue this course toward those 
poor, benighted souls, who, on every side of 
you, are perishing in their sins ; and, if you do, 
you will obtain similar results in your own ex- 
perience. Go and seek to arouse them from 
that stupor of death; pierce their ears with 
your earnest cries, your warnings, and expostu- 
lations, and pray God that fire from heaven may 
fall on their ice-bound natures. Do this, and 
whatever may be the result in regard to them, 
you will realize a benefit ; your heart will throb 
with an intenser spirituality : your affections 



272 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



will glow with a diviner fervor, and your whole 
Christian life will be more earnest and powerful. 

The obligation resting upon you to engage in 
these revival efforts grows out of the relation 
which you sustain to God and to your fellow- 
• men. You are not your own ; you belong to 
God. Your Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, and 
Savior has a just and sacred claim to the su- 
preme affection of your heart and the unbroken 
service of your life. He has a right to use you, 
in your body and soul, to the full extent of your 
capabilities, for his own honor and glory. No 
matter what labors, or crosses, or sufferings are 
imposed — you are his creature, having received 
from his hand whatever renders your continued 
existence a matter of any interest or concern, 
and having been redeemed, through his boundless 
goodness and love, by the blood and agonies of 
the Son of God. When, therefore, the Master 
saith, "Go, work to-day in my vineyard," no 
selfish desire, no worldly aim, no ambitious pur- 
pose should prevent instant, cheerful, and un- 
qualified obedience. 

You must also consider that those for whom 
you are called to labor are your brethren — of 
the same blood, children of the same Father, 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



273 



bound to the same judgment, and destined, like 
you, to an immortal existence. They are your 
brethren in distress. The appeal is to your hu- 
manity as well as to your religion. Can you 
fail to be moved and melted by an exhibition 
of their perils and miseries ? They are without 
God and without hope in the world. They are 
guilty, corrupt, degraded, and enslaved. They 
are drugged with worldly opiates; they are 
blinded, bewildered, and betrayed by Satan's 
devices ; they are hindered by a thousand im- 
aginary barriers from coming to Christ ; they 
are fearful, horror-struck, and overwhelmed 
with anguish at the thought of death, judgment, 
and eternity ; or stupidly indifferent and delir- 
iously reckless on the verge of destruction. 
They are proper subjects for tender sympathy, 
earnest entreaty, and tireless efforts to bless 
and save. They can have no substantial peace. 
The world is not a satisfying portion, and their 
sins are the parents of unnumbered distresses. 
They suffer from ungratified desires, disordered 
passions, the condemnation of their own judg- 
ment, the upbraidings of conscience, a want of 
harmony with God's providence, apprehensions 
of punishment, a dearth of heavenly consola- 



274 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



tions in times of affliction and trial, and the se- 
vere and terrific denunciations with which the 
inspired Word and the living Spirit blast and 
wither the impenitent and incorrigible. Their 
proclivities are away from God and heaven ; their 
steps take hold on death ; their feet already be- 
gin to slide; their destruction maketh haste, 
and the day of their calamity is at hand. " Upon 
the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brim- 
stone, and a horrible tempest : this shall be the 
portion of their cup." And although they pros- 
per in the world, and increase in worldly riches, 
and have more than heart could wish, think 
not that they can escape this terrible doom. 
Though pride compass them as a chain, and 
violence cover them as a garment ; though they 
speak wickedly concerning oppression, and set 
their defiant and blasphemous mouths against 
the heavens ; though there are no bands in their 
death, and they are not in trouble as other 
men ; yet suffer not your feet to stumble, and 
banish from your foolish heart all envious emo- 
tions, and all distrust of the justice of God's 
providence; for could you see the end as the 
beginning, you would discover that the Al- 
mighty has set them in slippery places, and 



REVIVAL EFFORTS 



275 



cast them down into destruction; and you 
would exclaim, with the Psalmist, " How are 
they brought into desolation, as in a moment ! 
They are utterly consumed with terrors." 
Those who prepare their hearts and stretch out 
their hands in earnest supplication unto God, 
and put away iniquity from their tabernacles, 
shall lift up their face without spot, and rejoice 
in an old age that is " clearer than the noon- 
day," and dwell securely and rest in safety. 
" But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they 
shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the 
giving up of the ghost." 

Such is the condition, and such are the per- 
ils of your neighbors, and friends, and children 
who are still unconverted. Are you willing 
that they should continue in this state? Can 
you bear to have them die in their sins ? Will 
you give them up to an everlasting heritage of 
shame and contempt, without an earnest effort 
to secure their salvation ? 

Consider the possibilities of their experience 
and destiny. The great salvation has been pur- 
chased for them. A ransom has been given for 
their souls. They may escape from sin, cor- 
ruption, and death. They may obtain pardon, 



276 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



purity, and heaven. They may be happy and 
useful on earth, and honored and glorified in 
the kingdom of God. Perilous as is their con- 
dition, they are objects of hopeful solicitude 
and of encouraging labors. Your prayers, and 
warnings, and entreaties may change the track 
of their being, and elevate, brighten, and ag- 
grandize their immortality. It is possible for 
you to bring them to God; and if it be pos- 
sible, it is an unmistakable obligation. The fu- 
ture membership of the Church, its men of 
means, and influence, and talents — its men of 
prayer and exhortation, its Sabbath-school teach- 
ers and Bible-class instructors, its ministers and 
missionaries — all those who, by learning, labor, 
and piety shall continue its existence, increase 
its power, and enlarge its borders, must be gath- 
ered from the masses of thoughtless, wretched 
sinners who people this unconverted world. And 
heaven is to be colonized with happy spirits, 
and made jubilant with the shouts of saved 
millions, as a consequence of this same indomi- 
table zeal and devotion. Our blessed Savior 
left behind him the glory which he had with the 
Father before the world w T as, became obedient 
unto death, even the shameful death of the cross, 



KEVIVAL EFFORTS. 



277 



and passed through a fearful conflict with the 
powers of darkness, that he might, by suffering 
and blood, accomplish the work of human re- 
demption, and open to myriads of sin-cursed 
souls the gates of a fadeless and resplendent 
immortality. 

As Christians you are in sympathy, however 
brief and imperfect your experience, with the 
Great Head of the Church. You desire the 
conversion of those miserable souls for whom 
Christ died. You are anxious to do something 
for their deliverance and salvation. Y^ou in- 
quire for the path of duty and usefulness. It 
shall be our pleasure to direct your steps. For 
though you lack the strength and maturity of 
adult believers, though you are the feeblest of 
all God's children, though you are destitute of 
the treasures of wealth, the gifts of genius, the 
endowments of learning, the polish of cultivation, 
and the advantage of distinguished social posi- 
tion — it is, nevertheless, possible and practica- 
ble for you to save souls from death, to "turn 
many to righteousness," and to enrich the gar- 
ner of God with the golden fruits of a wise and 
invincible evangelism. 

We proceed to direct your attention to some of 



278 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



the means which may be employed in this glorious 
work. 

You can, at least, furnish your friends and as- 
sociates an example of Christian integrity and 
holiness. You can show them how much relig- 
ion is to you — what sweet, celestial joys it 
causes to spring up in your heart. Your un- 
disturbed serenity, and strong, determined atti- 
tude of soul in the midst of reproaches and af- 
flictions, will convince those around you that 
Christian experience is a reality, and a source 
of the highest happiness. It is in this way 
that men ordinarily judge of religion. There 
is scarcely one sinner out of a hundred who has 
gone to the Bible and studied the character of 
Jesus Christ, and contemplated the great work 
of redemption, and opened his mind to receive 
the teachings of the inspired oracles, in order to 
determine whether or not Christianity is a Di- 
vine system which ought to be cherished and 
honored. The ideas of most men in regard to the 
Gospel are such as they have gathered from the 
lives of the professed Christians with whom they 
have been acquainted. The Bible has been to 
them a dead letter, or a sealed book ; but these 
living epistles they have perused with unflag- 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



279 



ging interest. If they have been ambiguous 
and false, they have been confirmed thereby in 
worldliness and infidelity ; but if they have been 
"manifestly declared to be the epistles of 
Christ, written not with ink, but with the 
Spirit of the living God," then their under- 
standings have been convinced, and their 
hearts have been moved, and almost, if not 
quite, persuaded to accept the Gospel. "Let 
your light," therefore, "so shine before men, 
that they may see your good works, and glo- 
rify your Father which is in heaven." It is 
this out-beaming of Christianity which declares 
its Divine loveliness, dispels the dreary shad- 
ows of doubt and distrust, reveals, in its search- 
ing light, the loathsome deformities of sin and 
ungodliness, and charms men to the service of 
our glorified Lord. How noiselessly, as some 
one has observed, burns a lamp in a room! 
Yet its cheering rays penetrate the remotest 
corner, and gild all surrounding objects with 
brightness and beauty. Such is Christian ex- 
ample. It is noiseless, but luminous. It has 
not the meteor's flash, or the comet's glare; 
but it shines with a calm, steady, and un- 
clouded radiance, like the stars which glow in 



280 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



the depths of heaven. It is thus that the 
world is to be converted, precisely as the night 
is rendered resplendent by the commingled 
beams of innumerable suns, reflecting the glory 
of the Great Author of all existence. "Wq 
must not wait," said the late Secretary of the 
American Home Missionary Society, "for the 
millennium to burst upon the world in some 
distant land; but each one must labor to make 
a millennium around himself. Let every indi- 
vidual do this, and create about himself a circle 
of light; let these circles become so numerous 
as to meet and blend their radiance, and the 
horizon will at once be illumined." 

" There is a moral omnipotence," remarks 
Eev. George B. Ide, D. D., "in holiness. Ar- 
gument may be resisted, persuasion and en- 
treaty may be scorned. The thrilling appeals 
and monitions of the pulpit, set forth with all 
the vigor of logic, and the glow of eloquence, 
may be evaded or disregarded; but the exhibi- 
tion of exalted piety has a might which nothing 
can withstand; it is truth embodied; it is the 
Gospel burning in the hearts, beaming from the 
eyes, breathing from the lips, and preaching in 
the lives of its votaries. No sophistry can 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



281 



elude it ; no conscience can ward it off ; no 
bosom wears a mail that can brave the energy 
of its attack. It speaks in all languages, in all 
climes, and to all phases of our nature. It is 
universal, invincible; and clad in immortal 
panoply, goes on from victory to victory." 

Another means of usefulness is prayer. This 
is one of the most powerful weapons you can 
employ. It will kindle the ardor of desire in 
your own soul, and furnish you with the knowl- 
edge and strength you need to do the work of 
God. If you are in earnest to secure the sal- 
vation of the lost, you will be impelled to go 
frequently to a throne of grace. In your 
closet, at your family devotions, and in the 
gathering for social worship, you will be con- 
strained to pour out your longing soul in ardent 
supplication for those who grope in darkness 
down to death. And these believing, persever- 
ing petitions will be productive of gracious re- 
sults. God will avenge his own elect who cry 
day and night unto him. Your friends and 
neighbors will be blessed and saved through the 
power of your unwearied intercessions. 

" There is no doubt," says the biographer of 
that eminently-useful laborer in the Lord's vine- 



282 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 

yard, Harlan Page, "that it was by continual 
and fervent prayer that he imbibed that glorious 
sense of eternal things, that love to souls, and 
that heavenly unction, which were at once the 
spring of his fidelity, and, under God, the 

ground of his success He prayed 

as if all the efficiency and praise were God's, 
and labored as if duty were all his own. His 
sense of dependence threw him on his knees, 
and his sense of duty summoned him to effort ; 
and prayer and effort, and effort and prayer, 
were the business of his life." 

Says an unknown writer : " The great cry of 
the age is after power, more power. The Chris- 
tian, for his purposes, has power without meas- 
ure awaiting his draft upon it. Only let him go 
to God, take him at his word, act faith upon the 
promises, and wrestle for the blessing, and it 
will, it must come. There needs no learning 
nor genius, no eloquent tongue or logical head, 
but only a humble, longing heart. It is the 
cry of the lowly and contrite which God hears ; 
and when he hears, what avail all the obstacles 
of earth or hell ? The praying man, the devout 
frequenter of the closet, can not fail to be a 
living, active, useful servant of Christ. And 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



283 



there have heen many persons whose eminent 
usefulness could be accounted for in no other 
way. Feeble in mental grasp, poorly furnished 
in literature, not high in social position, they 
yet were wonderfully successful. The secret 
was that they reached men through God. They 
began with him who is wonderful in counsel and 
mighty in working, and in the power of his 
might they became strong and did exploits. 
Any Christian may make his path equally lu- 
minous, his life equally a blessing, by diligently 
using the same means. Let him be instant in 
prayer. Let him redeem time— enough time 
and the best of it— for daily supplication, and 
he will grow like a tree planted by the river of 
waters. His leaf will be always green, and his 
fruit appear in due season." 

He who prays successfully will labor tirelessly 
to benefit immortal men. And there are many 
things which even the young convert can do to 
advance the cause which he has espoused. He 
can bring men within reach of the means of 
grace. The number of non-church attendants 
in all parts of our country is alarmingly great; 
and multitudes will go down to the grave almost 
as ignorant of the blessings of the sanctuary as 



284 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



if they had lived in the dreary realms of pagan- 
ism, unless some Christian friend, by personal 
appeal and invitation, shall persuade them to 
turn their feet into the courts of the Most High. 
Many have been converted as the result of such 
beneficent labors ; and instances are not wanting 
in which deep conviction of religious truth, and 
immediate and thorough reformation have fol- 
lowed the very first attendance at the house of 
God. 

Look around you, Christian convert, and find 
some one, as doubtless you may, who, in the 
midst of Gospel privileges, is living a practical 
heathen, and solicit him kindly and earnestly to 
go with you to the temple of Jehovah. And if 
you meet with repulses and insults, do not be 
discouraged, but repeat your effort, and perse- 
vere in your attempt, till it is crowned with 
success. Then go to your altar of worship, 
praying not only for yourself, but also for the 
poor stranger, that there may be a message for 
him in the truth declared, and that the Holy 
Spirit may make deep and saving impressions 
on his heart. As the result of such endeavors 
you may win some souls to Christ. 

Much good may also be accomplished by the 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



285 



distribution of tracts and religious books ; and 
you may very properly engage in this work of 
Christian colportage, though young in the Di- 
vine life. The devil never made a greater mistake 
than when he instigated the infidels of Paris to 
the work of tract distribution, in order to dis- 
seminate their monstrous opinions; for the 
Church has wrenched the club from the hand 
of Satan, and has since most effectually bruised 
his head with his own weapon. He is still busy, 
however, in this department of labor, and will 
poison and corrupt the youth of the land with 
vicious and infidel publications, if the people of 
God are not active and indefatigable in their en- 
deavors to scatter broadcast those leaves which 
are for the healing of the nations. A tract has 
often been instrumental in the conversion of a 
soul. Some books have brought more men to 
Christ than many living ministers. Churches 
have been raised up as the fruit of the circula- 
tion of Christian publications. This is a work 
in which every disciple of the Lord J esus ought 
to engage. The tract, the religious newspaper, 
the evangelical book should be given the wings 
of the wind, and scattered in every direction. 
This is an agency which you can employ. Carry 



286 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



with you a pack of assorted tracts, on which 
you can draw as occasion demands. Urge your 
friends to subscribe for good religious journals, 
which will bring before them every week argu- 
ments for Christianity. Lend, sell, or give 
away earnest, stirring, hortatory books, which 
have been written to advance the cause of God, 
and which are calculated to lead men to repent- 
ance and a holy life. Important results may 
follow your efforts in this direction. Not till 
the great day of revelation can it be known 
how many souls have been converted to God 
through these instrumentalities. 

Bo not overlook the Sabbath school You may 
find there blessed opportunities for usefulness. 
You may inspire young and growing minds with 
Christian heroism and devotion. You may 
shape the destinies of future generations. You 
may do a work for the Church and the world, 
the extent and grandeur of which it will require 
eternity to disclose. Its magnitude and splen- 
dor will not be discovered till seen in the light 
of a glorified immortality. Go, then, with your 
labors, and sympathies, and prayers, into this 
nursery of the Church, to prune and train those 
young and precious plants, which already bios- 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



287 



som with promise, and which will be ultimately 
laden with the golden fruits of Christian purity 
and beneficence. Go, also, into the world's 
uncultivated wastes, and gather some wild olive 
branches, which, being grafted into the true 
Vine, shall beautify and enrich the garden of 
the Lord. There are scores of children in every 
community who can be brought into the Sab- 
bath school only as the result of personal invi- 
tation and earnest effort. Among them are 
many with bright intellects, warm affections, ar- 
dent temperaments, and vast capacities for good 
or evil. Place them under the influence of re- 
ligious instruction, and you will secure to the 
Church many valuable members and ministers. 
How salutary, far-reaching, and glorious may be 
the consequences of your labors in this humble 
and noiseless department of Christian benefi- 
cence ! You may save from ignorance and 
crime, from spiritual desolation and death, some 
powerful genius who shall sweep the poet's 
lyre till the heart of the world is stirred, or 
pour forth such mighty torrents of eloquence as 
shall entrance the nations, or lead the sacra- 
mental hosts of God in that great Waterloo 
conflict with infidelity and idolatry, which will 



288 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



end in the complete overthrow of the powers 
of darkness, and the triumphant establishment, 
in all the earth, of the kingdom of our Lord 
and Savior. 

Another source of influence within your reach 
is religious conversation. You can talk with 
every body you meet in regard to the salvation 
of their souls. You can declare the facts of 
your experience. You can tell the story of a 
Savior's love from a warm and throbbing heart. 
You can testify, to small and great, that Jesus 
has power on earth to forgive sins, that there is 
Divine reality in the religion of the cross, and 
that what is vainly sought in the world— sub- 
stantial peace and joy— is fully found in the 
service of God. If you do not speak thus 
closely and solemnly to your unconverted com- 
panions and friends concerning their personal 
safety and need of a Savior, your neglect may 
prove their ruin. They will doubt your sin- 
cerity, and will question, it may be, the blessed 
truths of experimental religion, if you are si- 
lent or manifest indifference in regard to a 
matter of such tremendous moment. But if 
you are faithful to testify, cheering results will 
follow; for, by the testimony of Christians, at- 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



289 



tended by the Divine witness of the Spirit, the 
world is to be converted. And this stupendous 
evangelization will be the aggregate of individual 
conversions. Do not fail, therefore, to give 
your testimony to single persons, especially 
when Providentially thrown into their society. 
Whether walking, riding, visiting, or trafficking, 
introduce the subject of religion, and speak a 
few words in honor of your Master. It will be 
well if you learn how to glide, without violence 
or abruptness, from the consideration of tem- 
poral to the consideration of spiritual and eter- 
nal things. This was the manner of our Savior. 
Every passing incident furnished a text for an 
impressive and solemn discourse. It was thus 
that he preached the Gospel, announcing often 
the most important truths to a limited group of 
hearers, and sometimes to a single auditor, as 
in that memorable instance when he " sat weary 
by the patriarch's well." It is often very de- 
sirable not to force the introduction of religious 
subjects, but to bring them in naturally, as if 
suggested and prompted by current events. 
The following incident will illustrate the thought. 
Two gentlemen occupied the same seat on a 

rail-car. One of them remarked that he had 
19 



290 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



started on a long journey to a distant State. 
"A long journey, truly," was the response; 
"but you and I are taking a much longer one. 
We are traveling to eternity, and that, too, 
with a rapidity which outstrips the power of 
steam." The subject of religion was now fairly 
presented, and the solemn and touching remarks 
which followed in regard to the need of a prepa- 
ration for this eventful journey, and the import- 
ance of finding those on that distant shore who 
should welcome us to everlasting habitations, 
the listener did not soon forget. 

The following extract from a letter, written 
by Harlan Page, shows how readily that excel- 
lent man could give a religious turn to his con- 
versation : " During the day I met a sailor on 
the wharf, who told me he had been a prisoner 
at Newfoundland, and was put upon trial ; but 
nothing was found against him, and he was lib- 
erated. I told him we must meet another and 
more solemn trial in the day of judgment, when, 
without an interest in Christ, we must be con- 
demned eternally. He was silent. I entreated 
him to think of those things, and be prepared, 
for they were near at hand." 

But these incidental conversations, however 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



291 



important, can not be substituted for deliberate, 
predetermined appeals to unconverted men. 
We must sometimes go to our neighbors and 
friends, who are in the way to death, and make 
an opportunity to warn them of their danger, 
and invite them to Christ. We must let them 
know that we have come on purpose to plead 
with their obdurate souls in the name of our cru- 
cified Lord. This bold, earnest, and confident 
proclamation of the Gospel will often accom- 
plish what all other agencies have failed to ac- 
complish — the salvation of the soul. 

We have thus mentioned some of the modes 
in which young converts can let their light 
shine, and glorify their Father who is in heaven. 
There are many others to which we have not re- 
ferred. They will suggest themselves to an 
earnest, growing Christian. The main point is 
to have a heart bent on good, to maintain the 
spirit of an evangelist, and to be a workman that 
needeth not to be ashamed. Many paths of use- 
fulness will open before an aspiring and determ- 
ined soul. And "blessed are they that sow 
beside all waters," that have a hand in every 
good thing which is going on, that are inter- 
ested in every scheme of Christian beneficence, 



292 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and that are striving, in every direction, to 
benefit man and glorify God ! 

" Do something — do it soon — with all thy might; 
An angel's wing would droop if long at rest, 
And God himself, inactive, were no longer blest." 

It only remains that we succinctly mention 
some of the advantages which iviil result from 
your soul-saving efforts. 

It will be something to know that your duty 
is discharged, and your consistency maintained. 
The former is essential to peace of conscience, 
and the assurance of the Divine favor; the 
latter is necessary to secure self-approval and 
extended usefulness. Your own character will 
be greatly improved as the result of such 
steady discipline and beneficent labors. Your 
faith will be increased, your zeal quickened, and 
your love intensified. You will learn to appre- 
ciate the Gospel still more highly, as you see 
how it is adapted to all classes in society, and 
how greatly men of every grade need its heav- 
enly consolations. You will experience that 
Divine happiness which always results from a 
sincere attempt to promote the w r ellbeing of our 
fellows. Souls will he converted through your 
instrumentality. You will have the satisfaction 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



293 



of greeting, as companions and fellow laborers 
in the Church, those who have been saved from 
sin and its fearful perils, in consequence of your 
earnest and persevering efforts. Can earth af- 
ford any profounder satisfaction than that which 
arises from the contemplation of so splendid an 
achievement ? To bring a sinner to Christ, to 
elevate, dignify, and ennoble his whole life — to 
awaken celestial joys in his heart, such as the 
world can not impart — to render him a valuable 
member of society, a blessing to his family, his 
friends, and the Church — to change the whole 
current of his being, so that it shall flow toward 
God and heaven — to secure him peace in the 
dying hour, approval in the judgment, and a 
blissful eternity — this certainly is a work which 
angels might covet, a work of immeasurable 
grandeur and glory. To determine how great a 
matter it is to convert a sinner from the error 
of his ways, and save a soul from death, we 
must span its immortality, fathom the depths 
of hell, estimate its capacity of growth, compre- 
hend the honors and felicities of the ransomed 
and glorified, and understand what it is to sit 
on a throne of power and wear a royal diadem 
amidst the principalities and hierarchies of 



294 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



heaven. But these results of such colossal 
magnitude and imperishable splendor, it is 
every way practicable for you to realize. An 
affectionate admonition, a fervent prayer, a 
single earnest effort may be rendered powerful, 
by God's efficient grace, to bring a sinner from 
the dreary abodes of darkness and death into 
the marvelous light and liberty of the Gospel 
of his Son. 

No man in England did so much to maintain 
evangelical religion in that corrupt and be- 
nighted age, which preceded the great reforma- 
tion under Whitefield and Wesley, as Richard 
Baxter ; and he attributed his conversion to an 
importunate appeal of his father, who conversed 
faithfully with him in regard to the interests of 
his soul, tenderly entreating him to come to 
Christ. He had, doubtless, offered many pray- 
ers in his son's behalf, and blessed him with an 
example of godliness and devotion; but it 
needed the special, 'personal exhortation to fin- 
ish the work and secure his salvation. 

Those who have read the biography of Wil- 
liam Carvosso will remember the earnest, evan- 
gelical appeals which he made to his children, 
as they successively came to years of accounta- 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



295 



bility, and the glorious success which crowned 
his efforts. 

One of the Bishops of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church was converted to God through the 
instrumentality of a faithful Sabbath-school 
teacher ; and referring to the fact, on a public 
occasion, he remarked, in a strain truly sub- 
lime, "If the soul be immortal, that man's 
monument is eternal." 

The history of the Church abounds in such 
examples. From the days of Andrew, who 
found his own brother Simon and brought him to 
Jesus, to the present, multitudes have been evan- 
gelized and saved through individual exertions, 
and personal admonition and entreaty. 

An eminent minister performed, when a young 
man, an act of courtesy toward an old lady, 
who, instead of thanking him in commonplace 
terms, laid her withered hand tremulously upon 
his arm, and looking affectionately and sol- 
emnly into his face, said, " My dear young man, 
I hope you love Jesus.'' He went away won- 
dering at the Divine light which beamed from 
her countenance, and by the grace of God rested 
not till the love of Jesus was shed abroad in his 
heart. 



296 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



In the year 1835, seven brethren, in the city 
of Hamburg, assembled in a shoemaker's shop, 
laid their hearts upon God's altar, and formed 
themselves into a Church. They chose for their 
pastor Rev. Mr. Oncken. That little Church of 
seven members has since been multiplied into 
fifty Churches, with five thousand members, be- 
sides sending full fifty per cent, of their converts 
to America. They have become a most illus- 
trious example of apostolic labors and successes. 
"All our members," says the pastor, "were 
initiated and instructed into a regular system 
of operations. Every man and woman is re- 
quired to do something for the Lord, and thus 
the Word of the Lord has been scattered." 
And that pastor, who has led on this little 
army to such glorious conquests, owes his own 
conversion to the faithful efforts of an obscure 
individual with whom he resided a short time in 
London. 

A gentleman from Scotland spent a brief pe- 
riod in Geneva, seeking for health in physical 
and mental relaxation. But he remembered 
his covenant vows, and honored his Savior. 
Through religious conversation and prayer he 
was mainly instrumental in the conversion of 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



297 



Felix Neff, the eloquent Frederick Monod, and 
of him who will be known to our children, as 
he is known to us, as the author of the history 
of the great Reformation. 

Harlan Page was a poor mechanic, with only 
ordinary powers of mind and a limited educa- 
tion. But by private conversation and prayer, 
by the organization of prayer meetings and 
Sabbath schools, by the distribution of tracts 
and religious books, he rendered himself emi- 
nently useful. He made it his chief business 
to labor to advance the cause and kingdom of 
his Master and Lord ; and on his death-bed he 
was enabled to say, with the solemnity of eter- 
nity resting on his countenance, "I know it is 
all of God's grace, and nothing that I have 
done ; but I think I have had evidence that 
more than one hundred souls have been converted 
to God through my own direct and personal in- 
strumentality." This is a record in which many 
a minister of the Gospel might rejoice with ex- 
ultant joy. 

These illustrations, which could be indefi- 
nitely extended, can not fail to move your 
hearts. What others have done you can do. 
The instrumentalities they have employed you 



298 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



can employ. The exhibition they have given to 
the world of zeal, and earnestness, and devo- 
tion, ought, at least, to kindle your ardor and 
excite your ambition to attain similar, if not 
superior results. The same promises of the in- 
spired Word, -which cheered these illustrious 
toilers in the Lord's vineyard, belong to you, 
and are within the grasp of your faith. " He 
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious 
seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
bringing his sheaves with him." " And he that 
reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit 
unto life eternal." 

" Thine is the seed-time ; God alone 
Beholds the end of what is sown ; 
Beyond our vision, weak and dim, 
The harvest-time is hid with him ; 
Yet, unforgotten where it lies, 
That seed of generous sacrifice, 
Though seeming on the desert cast, 
Shall rise with bloom, and fruit at last." 

If we extend our thoughts beyond that dark, 
troubled river which separates the shores of 
time from the shores immortal, and contemplate 
the Christian laborer in the enjoyment of his 
celestial reward, we shall find still higher mo- 
tives for evangelical activity and devotion. 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



299 



What pleasing reflections on the past, on his 
earthly career of hardships and sufferings, must 
occupy the golden periods of his eternity ! He 
does not regret his labors, sacrifices, and perils 
to gather lost men into the fold of the great 
Shepherd, now that the Lamb, which is in the 
midst of the throne, feeds his soul with the 
bread of heaven, and leads him unto living 
fountains of waters. With what rapture does 
he greet, in that celestial clime, those who have 
been saved through his instrumentality ! With 
what interest will he regard the exaltation, 
happiness, and immortal expansion of a soul 
delivered from the condemnation of sin and the 
penal fire of hell, and made a sharer in the Re- 
deemer's throne, through his own unwearied ex- 
ertions! How gratefully will he be remem- 
bered by those ransomed and glorified beings 
as the honored instrument of their salvation! 
How will his he.aven be enlarged, his happiness 
increased, and his immortality multiplied in the 
experience and blessedness of those over whom 
he rejoices as a father over his children ! How 
exalted his position, how resplendent his char- 
acter, how grand, majestic, and glorious his un- 
folding eternity ! " And they that be wise shall 



300 COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



shine as the brightness of the firmament; and 
they that turn many to righteousness as the 
stars forever and ever." " One star/' how- 
ever, as the apostle declares, "differeth from 
another star in glory ;" and he affirms that 
"so also is the resurrection of the dead." 
Some there are who will but faintly twinkle in 
the celestial heavens, while others will shine as 
stars of the first magnitude, or as suns newly 
created in the empyrean of God. If you seek 
merely to save your own soul, and are indiffer- 
ent to the condition and destiny of other men, 
you will fail to accomplish even the little that 
you undertake ; but if these things be in you 
and abound, so that you are neither idle nor 
unfruitful in your Master's vineyard, then "an 
entrance shall be ministered unto you abund- 
antly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord 
and Savior Jesus Christ;" or, as Mr. Wesley 
has expressed it, "You shall go in full triumph 
to glory." You shall be distinguished and 
honored in the household of God. You shall 
sit down with Jesus on the throne of his 
Father. You shall inherit all things, and go 
out no more forever. " Therefore, my beloved 
brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always 



REVIVAL EFFORTS. 



301 



abounding in the work of the Lord ; forasmuch 
as ye know that your labor is not in vain in 
the Lord/' 

" Rouse to some work of high and holy love, 
And thou an angel's happiness shalt know ; 
Shalt bless the earth while in the world above ; 
The good begun by thee shall onward flow 
In many a branching stream, and wider grow ; 
The seed that in these few and fleeting hours 
Thy hands unsparing and unwearied sow, 
Shall deck thy grave with amaranthine flowers, 
And yield thee fruits divine in heaven's immortal bowers. " 



302 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



0 

CHAPTER XIX. 

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 

The Greek word which in the New-Testament 
Scriptures is usually translated Church, means 
an assembly of any kind, good or bad, lawful or 
unlawful; and we are obliged to refer to the 
context, or attendant circumstances, in order to 
determine its precise significance. 

The true, invisible Church of Jesus Christ is 
composed of all those who have come out from 
the world, who have been regenerated by the 
Spirit, who are filled with love to God and all 
mankind, and who walk in the precepts and or- 
dinances of the Lord blameless. 

"The visible Church of Christ,' 7 in the lan- 
guage of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church 
of England, "is a congregation of faithful men, 
in which the pure Word of God is preached, and 
the sacraments be duly administered, according 
to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of 
necessity are requisite to the same." 

You who have been converted are already 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP- 



303 



connected with the spiritual Church and king- 
dom of our blessed Lord. You were born into 
that Church in the hour when your souls were 
regenerated. You were made members of the 
household of faith, your names were registered 
in the Lamb's book of life, and you were num- 
bered with the heirs of salvation. Having been 
thus ransomed and saved through the blood 
of Christ, and being sanctified by the Holy 
Spirit, you are now entitled to the immunities 
and privileges of the visible Church, and are 
placed under an obligation to cast in your lot 
with the people of God, which you can not 
safely disregard. 

And yet, at this point, young converts often 
need a word of admonition and counsel. They 
do not commonly pass through this critical and 
decisive period of their experience and history 
without being fiercely assaulted by the powers 
of darkness. It is frequently suggested to their 
minds that too much haste in connecting them- 
selves with a Christian Church might be disas- 
trous in its results, that delay and considera- 
tion are advisable, that the vows and covenants 
of the Church are too solemn and weighty to be 
lightly assumed, and that they would better sub- 



304 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



ject their experience to a thorough trial, and 
prove their own steadfastness before taking a 
step fraught with such important consequences. 
These are plausible arguments, and they have 
worked the ruin of multitudes of unwary souls. 
It is a solemn thing to approach God's altar, 
and forswear allegiance to Satan, and take upon 
us the vows of our holy Christianity. It should 
be done with deliberation and seriousness, as in 
the presence of God, and in view of the awards 
of eternity. But precisely because it is a trans- 
action of this character— because it will more 
than ever separate you from the world, and com- 
mit you to Christianity, and bind you over to 
the service of God, these covenant obligations 
ought to be assumed. 

If ever we need the Church, its counsels, its 
sympathies, its sacraments, and its prayers, it is 
in the beginning of our Christian life. As chil- 
dren in the family of God, w r e need the warmth 
and glow of fraternal affection, and the wisdom 
and experience of matured Christians to direct 
our steps, to defend us from surrounding dan- 
gers, and to lead us on to higher attainments in 
truth and holiness. You should learn to look 
upon the intimation that you would better remain 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



305 



without the Church till you are wiser and holier, 
as a temptation, a device of the devil to effect 
your overthrow. It is, unquestionably, the will 
of God that you should be thoroughly and un- 
mistakably committed to his cause, and identi- 
fied with his people. In the beginning of the 
Gospel dispensation "the Lord added to the 
Church " those who were saved as the result of 
apostolic labors and prayers. " Though many," 
says a distinguished commentator, " approved 
of the life and manners of these primitive 
Christians, yet they did not become members of 
this holy Church — God permitting none to be 
added to it but those who were saved from their 
sins and prejudices. He united those who were 
daily converted under the preaching of the apos- 
tles, to those who had already been converted. 
And thus every lost sheep that was found was 
brought to the flock, that, under the direction 
of the great Master Shepherd, they might go 
out and in, and find pasture." It is, then, the 
will of God that those who are saved from their 
sins should be added to the Church. He has in- 
stituted the Church, committed to it the inspired 
oracles, furnished it with pastors and teachers, 

appointed its services and sacraments, miracu- 
20 



r 



306 COUNSELS TO CONVEHTS. 

lously preserved it in the world, maintaining its 
vigor, increasing its power, and enlarging its 
domain, that it might be the shelter and home 
of all who, in every age, should believe on the 
name of his only-begotten Son. In the fold of 
Jesus Christ the lambs of the flock are gathered, 
to be nourished and defended from the attacks 
of the devouring wolf. The "little ones" have 
their place in the household of God, and even 
"new-born babes" are fed with "the sincere 
milk of the Word," that they may grow up into 
Christ in all things. The apostolic epistles are 
addressed to Churches made up of young con- 
verts, who had "turned to God from idols, to 
serve the living and true God, and to wait for 
his Son from heaven" — a faith which distin- 
guished them from both Jews and Gentiles, 
Paul could say of many of them, " In Christ 
Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel." 
When they were led into errors, and chilled and 
palsied by backslidings, he exclaimed, "I am 
jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I 
have espoused you to one husband, that I may 
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I 
fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled 
Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



307 



be corrupted from the simplicity that is in 
Christ." He beseeches them to be "followers 
of God, as dear children," and to " walk worthy 
of the vocation" wherewith they are called, 
"being fruitful in every good work, and increas- 
ing in the knowledge of God." He exhorts 
them to walk in Christ Jesus, even as they re- 
ceived him, that they might be " rooted and 
built up in him, and established in the faith." 
He remembers that his Gospel came not to them 
in word only, "but also in power, and in the 
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance," while 
they " received the word in much affliction, with 
joy of the Holy Ghost." " But we were gentle 
among you," is his solemn affirmation, "even 
as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being 
affectionately desirous of you, we were willing 
to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of 
God only, but also our own souls, because ye 
were dear unto us." Therefore, "we exhorted, 
and comforted, and charged every one of you, as 
a father doth his children, that ye would walk 
worthy of God, who hath called you unto his 
kingdom and glory ;" and, " as ye have received 
of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God," 
we desire that "ye would abound more and 



308 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



more." " Wherefore, also, we pray always for 
you, that our God would count you worthy of 
this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure 
of his goodness, and the work of faith with 
power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 
may be glorified in you, and ye in him, accord- 
ing to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus 
Christ." 

These, as well as many other passages which 
might be cited, show that the primitive Churches 
were filled with converts who were the objects 
of tender solicitude and fervent prayer. They 
were exhorted, admonished, entreated, and cher- 
ished with diligence and affection, that they 
might be " followers of them who through faith 
and patience inherit the promises." Indeed, 
how could the visible Church of Jesus Christ 
have been established, and spread out through 
the nations as a recognized body, consecrated 
to the service of the living God, if those con- 
verted through her mighty instrumentalities had 
not, at once, been gathered within the sacred 
fold of the Redeemer ? And how could her in- 
stitutions have been preserved from age to age, 
and transmitted through successive generations 
to the present time, without form or organiza- 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



309 



tion, without established order and discipline, 
and without any authorized administration, judi- 
cial or legislative ? 

The Church is the body of Christ, the visible 
manifestation of the spiritual kingdom. And if 
we are the children of God by adoption, we are 
solemnly bound to increase the numbers, ad- 
vance the interests, and promote the happiness 
of the whole household of faith, the seen and ac- 
knowledged family of God. And as the Church 
could not have been established but through this 
ingathering of Christian converts into her visible 
fold, neither can she now be maintained, en- 
larged, and rendered powerful for the accom- 
plishment of her great mission, by any other 
process. You have proposed, my dear young 
disciple, not to connect yourself by profession 
and covenant with the people of God, but to live 
religion in a more private way, without assum- 
ing the solemn engagements which Church mem- 
bership would demand. If this be your right, 
it is also the right of others — of all. Suppose, 
then, that your practice should become general, 
universal, what results would follow ? It is evi- 
dent that the Church would be destroyed. Her 
sanctuaries would be given to the moles and 



310 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



bats ; her ministers would cease to serve at her 
altars, or expound her oracles ; her sacraments 
would no longer be celebrated, or her solemn 
feasts observed; her Sabbaths would be pro- 
faned, her authority contemned, and her claims 
derided, till, as a living power, consecrated to a 
great work of beneficence, and seeking the sal- 
vation of a lost race, she would utterly perish, 
leaving the kingdom of darkness to spread its 
dreary domain over a ruined world. Hell 
would triumph, and earth would be changed 
into a pandemonium of guilt and shame. 

Are you not startled as you contemplate the 
legitimate consequences of that course of con- 
duct which you proposed to pursue? Is it not 
plainly your duty to become a member of the 
visible Church, to be her devotee and champion, 
manifesting in her behalf the ardor of a saint, 
and the heroism of a conqueror, living and labor- 
ing to extend her borders, build up her institu- 
tions, and establish in all lands her great power 
and glory ? 

And is not this quite as clearly an obligation 
of gratitude ? What innumerable and invalu- 
able blessings have you received through the 
Church ! For whatever distinguishes you from 



CHUKCH MEMBERSHIP. 



311 



heathenish degradation you are indebted to the 
Gospel of the Son of God. Its proclamation of 
mercy, its transforming power, its exceeding 
great and precious promises, its wealth of expe- 
rience, its ability to transmute, like the fabled 
philosopher's stone, every thing it touches into 
gold— to change curses into blessings, to render 
trials and afflictions angels of mercy and good- 
ness, and to bear us above this world, on the 
mighty wings of a victorious faith, into an em- 
pyrean of changeless love and rapturous joy, 
filled with visions of God, and glory, and im- 
mortality—what a heritage do these constitute 
for the believing soul! And yet what would 
you have known of all these, but for the Chris- 
tian Church, with its living ministry, its open 
Bible, its hallowed Sabbaths, and its solemn or- 
dinances ? For every temporal blessing you are 
just as emphatically indebted to Christianity. 
Wealth, education, liberty, government— all, in 
a word, which we include in that comprehensive 
term civilization, wdiich is, according to Guizot, 
« the amount and distribution of individual and 
social wellbeing" — are the offspring of the 
Christian religion, and result, in any community 
or State, from the existence, permanency, and 



312 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



prosperity, in such community or State, of the 
Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ought not such considerations to affect our 
judgment and consciences? Ought they not 
to turn our steps unto God's altars with offer- 
ings of thanksgiving and vows of consecration? 
Do they not show us our obligation to be thor- 
oughly identified with the cause of God, sharers 
in the labors, conflicts, and reproaches of the 
Christian Church, both in order to meet and 
discharge that demand of justice and gratitude 
which presses upon our own hearts, and to se- 
cure to our fellow-men the richest and most 
comprehensive benefactions of Divine providence 
and grace, through the enlargement and triumph- 
ant establishment of the kingdom of our Lord 
and Savior. 

"If we are indeed spiritual," says an illus- 
trious divine, " under God, we owe all to the 
Church. Even from the time of Abraham she 
has shone as the light of the world. Where 
else do we see light ? All is dark beyond. To 
her God has committed the preservation of his 
truth; for unto her have been committed the 
oracles of God. This truth her ministers have 
proclaimed; for it her confessors have suffered, 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



313 



her champions earnestly contended. Her sages 
have studied it for you, and the precious pearl, 
undiminished in value, is all your own. In 
stormy seasons she has sheltered her lamps in 
the recesses of the sanctuary, and in happier 
times has placed them on high to guide and 
save. Her ministry has been transmitted down 
to us, because the Lord of the harvest, mindful 
of his own promise, hath continued himself to 
send forth laborers into his vineyard ; and thus 
is there continued to us that wondrous instruc- 
tion, which, if weak in itself, is mighty through 
Qod— to which you owe the salvation of your 
own souls, and the caution and comfort with 
which you are enabled to walk. And the Spirit 
of God is in the Church. This is its distin- 
guishing as well as crowning blessing. ' Cry 
out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion ; for 
great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of 
thee/ Thus is her sacred volume full of living 
and saving words; thus is her ministry with 
power; and thus are her ordinances 6 wells of 
salvation,' out of which water is drawn with 
joy. To the Church you owe your hallowed 
friendships. Through her you have the com- 
munion of saints, the care of others for you, 



314 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



and their earnest prayers in your behalf. To 
the Church, as obeying the solemn command of 
God, you owe your Sabbaths, those blessed 
days of holy rest ; and in the Church it is that 
God manifests himself. His power and glory 
are in his sanctuary; there are the blessings 
of his grace received ; there the mysteries of his 
providence understood, so far as they may be 
understood in this world. Take the Church 
away, and you have removed the salt of the 
earth, the light of the world." 

If you are still doubtful as to the course you 
ought to pursue, still hesitating on the thresh- 
old of God's temple, then we implore you to 
ask yourself such questions as these which fol- 
low. How can I do most to advance the cause 
of Christianity? By what means shall I be 
most effectually separated from the world? 
How can I profess in strongest terms my faith 
in the Gospel, and my sympathy with the 
Church of Christ? What course will be most 
gratifying, as indicating probable defection, and 
speedy apostasy to my unconverted associates, 
and to those malignant spiritual foes which seek 
my everlasting destruction? What will lead 
Christians to rejoice over me as the chosen of 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



315 



God, and the sealed of Jesus Christ ? Would I 
better go alone through that great and terrible 
wilderness which I must traverse before I reach 
the promised Canaan, or join myself to the ar- 
mies of Israel, and follow the pillar of cloud and 
fire? Where shall I be so likely to obtain the 
manna of heaven, and the refreshing waters 
which flow from the smitten rock, as in the camp 
of God's people ? Where shall I receive the 
cheering and encouragement, the sympathy and 
help, the communion and fellowship which I so 
much need as a Christian, if not in the house 
of God, and in the Church of my Lord and 
Savior? Do you still hesitate? Then permit 
me to inquire, may not that hesitation spring 
from an unwillingness to be subject to the re- 
straints and discipline of the Church? Is not 
your deceitful heart leading you astray? Has 
not your foolish vanity been flattered by the 
attentions you have received from ministers and 
Church members, who have endeavored to bring 
you into the fold of the Redeemer ? And be- 
cause they have been so faithful and earnest to 
guard you against mistake, and save you from 
perilous courses, you have imagined that they 
considered you a decided acquisition for the 



316 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



Church, and so you have been waiting, and 
parleying, and negotiating to secure for your- 
self the most flattering invitations, and the most 
advantageous proposals. You have fallen into 
a very great and ridiculous error. You are 
doubtless capable of being useful; but the 
Church, nevertheless, can get along well enough 
without you. You can join this conquering 
army if you will, and share in its conflicts and 
triumphs ; but if you do not, its invincible co- 
horts will just as certainly move on to final and 
glorious victory. You are offered a free pas- 
sage in the " old ship Zion but if you choose 
to navigate your own frail craft across life 9 s 
stormy ocean, you must answer for the pre- 
sumption, and be held accountable for any re- 
sults which may follow ; for most assuredly the 
good old ship will be securely moored in the 
coveted harbor, and, whatever may be your 
fate, will land her jubilant thousands safely on 
the immortal shores. We do not mean that all 
who come into the Church will certainly be 
saved; for hypocrites and formalists may wear 
the badge of Christianity ; but we do mean that 
those who undertake to live a religious life with- 
out her sacred pale, in neglect of her sacra- 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



317 



merits, and in contempt of her kindly offices of 
cheer and succor, will be almost inevitably over- 
whelmed with ultimate disaster and ruin. The 
experience of ministers on this point will fully 
confirm this observation. They witness too 
often the result of this foolish experiment. 
They see promising converts, who " did run 
well," effectually hindered by their unwillingness 
to assume these responsibilities. They turn 
away from the watch-care of the Church, her 
godly discipline, her pastoral supervision, her 
hallowed fellowships, her vows, and sacraments, 
and prayers, only to lose the warmth of Divine 
love from their hearts, to fall again into their 
old, sinful practices, and to relinquish speedily 
every hope of heaven. 

Let these facts and arguments be to you 
sources of admonition and instruction. Shun 
those rocks on which so many have made ship- 
wreck of faith and a good conscience. Choose 
your place with the people of God. Join the 
Church just as soon as the Church is willing to 
receive you to her communion; and continue 
faithful to her covenants, doing her work, and 
fighting her battles, that you may share at last 
in her exaltation and imperishable glory, 



3J8 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



It may be, my young friend, that while you 
are fully convinced of the obligation resting 
upon you to become connected with the Chris- 
tian Church, you are perplexed and embarrassed 
by the conflicting claims of different religious de- 
nominations. The question which troubles your 
heart is not, shall I join the Church ; but, of these 
various Christian organizations, which one shall 
I choose for my religious home? This is an 
important matter for you to decide. It deserves 
thought, and prayer, and honest investigation. 
Your conclusion should not be the result of feel- 
ing, passion, or prejudice, but of impartial judg- 
ment and conscientious inquiry. Your action 
should be God-fearing action, based upon relig- 
ious considerations, and having respect to the 
recompense of eternity. Very different from 
this is the course pursued by many converts. 
They determine their Church relations under 
the influence of motives which are essentially 
worldly and wicked. If I join this large and 
wealthy society, reasons a merchant or physi- 
cian, I shall secure a liberal patronage, or an 
extensive practice, and thus promote my tem- 
poral interests as well as my spiritual good. 
And I, adds the young man or woman, shall be 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



319 



introduced at once into the most respectable 
circles, and my social position will be rendered 
much more desirable. This admixture of selfish 
considerations is not always clearly discerned, 
yet it often vitiates and destroys the sincerity 
and purity of the Christian character. It is 
entirely wrong that arguments drawn from 
worldly interests, social position, comparative 
respectability, or any thing of this kind should 
be allowed to affect the decision of a question 
so purely religious, and so fearfully moment- 
ous as that of Church relation. All considera- 
tions of this character should be wholly ignored ; 
they are impertinent and insignificant, and 
should be excluded from the field of vision, 
both because of their littleness and their irrele- 
vancy. 

The Church which you ought to join is that 
which manifested the most interest in your 
spiritual welfare while you were yet in the 
darkness of condemnation, and which labored 
most earnestly and effectually to bring you to 
Christ; the Church which, according to your 
judgment, mQst correctly expounds the teach- 
ings and doctrines of the Holy Scriptures, 
cleaving, in all her customs and ordinances, 



320 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



closely to the Inspired Word; whose usages 
and prudential regulations are best calculated 
to advance the spirituality of her membership, 
and to build them up in that holiness without 
which no man shall see the Lord; whose disci- 
pline is the most thorough and godly, and best 
adapted to promote practical religion; whose 
ministry is the most zealous, devoted, and evan- 
gelical, proving their apostolic succession by 
labors and triumphs kindred to those of the 
primitive Church, and whose membership is the 
most loving, spiritual, and charitable, avoiding 
both fanaticism and formalism, contending both 
for faith and beneficence, and seeking always, 
in all things, to advance the glory of God, and 
the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a 
word, you ought to join that Church which can do 
most to help you on your ivay to heaven. And 
if your eye is single, if your chief aim is to se- 
cure holiness, be made a blessing to your fel- 
lows, and obtain an immortality of bliss, a gra- 
cious Providence will direct your steps, and 
you will soon find a hallowed resting-place 
within the gates of Zion, a refuge and a home 
in the Church of the living God. 

As a member of the great commonwealth of 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



321 



Christ, certain duties and obligations are im- 
posed upon you, very solemn and significant in 
their character. You have become, in a meas- 
ure, responsible for the honor, wellbeing, and 
prosperity of the Church; her interests, to 
some extent, are in your keeping, and her sta- 
bility, enlargement, and glory will depend, in 
some degree, upon your faithfulness, purity, 
and devotion. You have come into the Church 
not to rest, but to work — not like a man who 
takes his seat in the car of a railway, supposing 
that courteous attendants will minister to his 
comfort, and that a skillful engineer will drive 
him successfully over the track to the desired 
station; but rather, like Bunyan's Pilgrim, to 
confront opposition, and persecutions, and perils 
of every kind, and expecting to measure by 
solitary footfalls the whole distance which 
stretches before you, even to the golden gates 
of the New Jerusalem. The Church of God is 
not, as some seem to suppose, a garden of 
pleasure, or a gorgeous temple, reared to excite 
admiration ; but rather a magnificent workshop, 
filled with cunning artificers, where the most 
artistic and diligent toiler wins the chaplet of 

renown. It is a hospital, into which are gath- 
21 



322 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



ered the poor, the sick, and the dying, to re- 
ceive care and consolation; and none are so 
worthy of honor as those who, with gentle and 
thoughtful beneficence, minister to these sad 
and suffering souls. 

It is a camp of armed men, of soldiers enlisted 
under the banner of the Cross, to subjugate a 
revolted empire to Jesus Christ ; and every new 
recruit must learn to endure hardness, to bear 
the Gospel armor, to wield the sword of the 
Spirit, and to gather laurels for the brow of the 
Captain of our salvation. Let it, then, be your 
ambition to be recognized as " a servant of the 
Church." Heed the apostolic injunction, and 
"seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the 
Church." And though toils and sacrifices are 
required of you for the promotion of the inter- 
ests of Zion, count it a privilege and a happi- 
ness to be permitted to labor and suffer for " the 
Church of God, which he hath purchased with 
his own blood." 

You should be in sympathy with your glori- 
fied Lord, and he " loved the Church, and gave 
himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse 
it with the washing of water by the Word ; that 
he might present it to himself a glorious Church, 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



823 



not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing ; 
but that it should be holy and without blemish.' 3 
"Give none offense/' therefore, "to the Church 
of God;" but maintain her purity, honor her 
Sabbaths, reverence her sanctuaries, observe her 
teachings, celebrate her sacraments, promote 
love and charity in all her borders, bear her re- 
proach before an ungodly world, defend her 
character from the calumnious assaults of her 
malignant foes, and labor assiduously and perse- 
veringly to extend her dominions unto the ends 
of the earth. Let the language of your heart 
ever be, 

" Beyond my highest joys, 

I prize her heavenly ways ; 
Her sweet communion, solemn vows, 
Her hymns of love and praise." 

Avail yourself of all the privileges of the 
Church ; make the most of her mighty instru- 
mentalities ; let every Sabbath, every ordinance, 
and every means of grace be so improved as to 
secure to your soul the greatest possible ad- 
vantage. 

Never leave the Church. You will often be 
tempted to do so. Your brethren will not be 
always thoughtful, considerate, or even just. 



324 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



You will be wounded in the house of your 
friends. Your feelings will be injured, your mo- 
tives impugned, and your most righteous actions 
misapprehended and condemned. What then? 
Will you make things better by forswearing 
your . covenant' vows, and withdrawing from the 
Church ? You should remember that your 
brethren have something to bear as well as 
yourself — that your own character is not fault- 
less, and that your words and conduct have too 
often been to them a source of grief and pain, 
But you can not endure such abuse, such faith- 
lessness, such treacheries ! Think of the Son 
of God ! Was he not deserted and betrayed by 
those who had been folded to the bosom of his 
infinite regard ? Beware, my brother, of Satan's 
devices. Let him get no advantage over you. 
Cling to the altars of your God. Do not be 
coaxed or driven from the Church of Jesus 
Christ. Resolve to live, and die in the visible 
fold of the great Shepherd and Bishop of your 
soul. 

And if the Church is overlooked and despised 
by a heartless world, which is incapable of esti- 
mating its value, or appreciating its worth, let 
not that consideration move you from a steadfast 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



325 



adherence to all the precepts and ordinances 
of the visible body of Christ. You have proved 
the importance and preeiousness of those relig- 
ious services, ever maintained in the Church, 
which cause the tear of penitence to start, "which 
strengthen the grasp of faith, kindle the flame 
of love, inspire the raptures of hope, and bring 
pardon and peace to the conscience, drawing 
them near to God, and securing them the sanc- 
tifying influence of the Holy Spirit. "Ye are 
come to mount Zion, to the city of the living 
God, the heavenly Jerusalem." "That is, as 
St. Paul says, the Jerusalem above; not the 
earthly but the spiritual ; the mother of us all ; 
the Church, our birthplace ; and all who are 
born there, and are truly regenerated, are free 
from the guilt and power of sin, and walk in the 
habits of a new and exalted life." "This 
Church is now, as ever," continues the eloquent 
author from whom we quote, " spurned by the 
proud, and contemned by the sophist ; yet here 
is the Zion, the city of God; and this Church, 
so disregarded, is typified by the city which God 
called his own, where the temple raised its con- 
secrated towers, where God himself deigned to 
dwell, where the tribes went up to their solemn 



826 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



assemblies, where songs, written by inspiration, 
filled the sacred courts ; where sacrifice was 
offered and accepted, pardons were dispensed, 
and the blessing of Jehovah was solemnly pro- 
nounced upon an accepted people." 

Inasmuch, therefore, as you have become 
" fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the 
household of God/' steadfastly abide in your 
covenant relations, as known and recognized 
members of the Church of our Lord and Sav- 
ior. If burdens must be borne, and trials pa- 
tiently endured, and a warfare heroically waged 
in this suffering, militant Church, it is also em- 
phatically true, that heavenly consolations are 
found in its communion, that the wisest and 
noblest of earth are included in its member- 
ship, and that the amplest provision has been 
made, in its very constitution, to perfect our 
social life, by securing us the fellowship of 
kindred minds, and making us sharers in the 
joys and triumphs of all the redeemed.. 

The convert is not expected to pursue a soli- 
tary religious career. He is brought into the 
happy company of the saved. He is made a 
member of the household of faith. He realizes 
an ecstatic spiritual communion with all the 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



327 



children of God". Many hearts beat responsive 
to his own ; many prayers mingle with his at a 
throne of grace ; and many eyes are moistened 
with tears of joy, as he discloses the facts of 
his Christian experience. In the meeting for 
prayer or conference, in the Sabbath school and 
Bible class, and in all the services and ordi- 
nances of the Church, he finds, both as a social 
and as a religious being, abundant gratification. 
He tastes the sweets of Christian friendship, 
and he learns to prize and cherish, above all 
earthly gifts, his brethren and companions in 
the kingdom of God. He rejoices in their 
prosperity ; he sympathizes in their afflictions ; 
he shares in their triumphs; and he absorbs 
their very life into his own. How precious are 
such associations ! How powerful to bring the 
soul on its heavenward way ! How blessed the 
memories which they leave behind! And how 
natural it is for those who have been many 
years in the Divine service, to recur to their 
early experience, and to summon up the forms 
of those who were their associates in the relig- 
ious life, exclaiming, with tears of pious gratu- 
lation as these delightful recollections crowd 
upon their minds, "We took sweet counsel 



328 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



together, and went to the house of God in com- 
pany !" 

The social life which we enjoy in the militant 
Church will be continued and perfected in the 
Church triumphant. We seek not a heaven of 
solitude and silence ; but one gladdened by the 
presence of a great multitude of the redeemed, 
and vocal with shouts and halleluiahs. We shall 
be permitted to hold high converse with those 
who were present when the foundations of the 
earth were laid, " when the morning stars sang 
together, and all the sons of God shouted for 
joy we shall be allowed to mingle in that glo- 
rious company of prophets, apostles, and mar- 
tyrs, who cheerfully suffered with Christ on 
earth, and who are now exalted to reign with 
him forever ; and we shall be privileged to greet 
once more those who were loved and lost on the 
shores of time, but with whom we shall hence- 
forth enjoy the glad, unbroken communion of 
the saints in light. These are not vain specu- 
lations. In the gorgeous visions of the Apoca- 
lypse we behold the serried throngs of men and 
angels, who inhabit those celestial regions, com- 
mingling in joyful activity, clad, in their festal 
robes, and wearing their crowns of gold. We 



CHURCH MEMBERSHIP. 



329 



hear "the voice of harpers harping with their 
harps/' and the swell of that majestic song 
which is "as the voice of many waters/' and 
which fills all heaven with its symphonies of 
praise ; and, in one word, we find our immor- 
tality described as the marriage-supper of the 
Lamb, the wedding-feast of glory, the festival of 
God. 

" There saints of all ages in harmony meet, 
Their Savior and brethren transported to greet ; 
While anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, 
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul/' 



330 



COUNSELS TO CONVEKTS. 



CHAPTER XX. 

PINAL SUCCESS. 

The first step in any enterprise is an import- 
ant step. Nothing can be accomplished till a 
beginning is made. The commencement must 
precede the consummation, The beginning, 
therefore, is a prophecy of the end. It gives 
us grounds to hope that correspondent results 
may be realized. But it does not always ne- 
cessitate those results. They may follow; but 
they are not inevitable. 

It is a matter of felicitation that you have 
turned your face Zionward, ceased from your 
evil ways, abandoned your worldly and wicked 
associations, received Jesus Christ as your Sav- 
ior, and entered with so much zeal and earnest- 
ness upon a Christian career. But he that put- 
teth on the harness can not boast as he that 
taketh it off. It yet remains to be seen whether 
you will endure hardness as a good soldier, 
whether you will return from the wars covered 
only with honorable scars, and crowned with im- 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



331 



perishable laurels ; or whether cowardice and 
presumption will be followed by disgrace and 
disaster. It is well that you have left the 
city of Destruction ; but that you will escape 
the slough of Despond, climb successfully the 
hill Difficulty, pass unharmed through Vanity 
Fair, valorously defy the wayside lions, and the 
confronting Ap oily on, shout and triumph ail 
along the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and 
be received at the«gates of the Immortal City by 
attendant angels, who shall robe you in shining 
garments, place a crown of amaranth and gold 
upon your head, and in your hands palms in 
token of victory, and " harps to sing praises 
withal"— these are questions which are still to 
be determined. The great object to be attained 
is the final and eternal salvation of your soul. 
This object should be kept constantly in mind. 
You should learn to look habitually forward, 

" Beyond the bounds of time and space/' 

to that immortal inheritance promised to those 
who endure unto the end. If you live with 
judgment and eternity in view, with your eye 
fixed on that blazing throne before which you 
must stand, you will not be inclined to fasten 



332 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



your affections on the things of earth, you will 
be restrained from the commission of sin, you 
will avail yourself of every means of grace, cul- 
tivate spiritual-mindedness, and strive with earn- 
estness and perseverance to obtain the prepara- 
tion you need to meet your Master and Judge. 
Tour whole heart should be fixed on obtaining 
the rest which remaineth to the people of God. 
For this your soul should go out in all the 
ardor of insatiate desire. Such irrepressible 
longings for heaven and heavenly enjoyments 
will have an elevating and transforming effect 
on your whole character. They will bring you 
into harmony with the gracious purposes of the 
Gospel, will render you Christ-like in spirit, 
and indomitable in your purpose to overcome, 
as a servant and a son of God, that you may 
inherit all things. As a lost child weeps for 
home, as the seasick mariner yearns for land, 
and rejoices to catch the gale which bears on 
its wings the fragrance of flowers and fruits; 
as the poor slave in a dark and dreary dungeon 
groans for light and liberty; as the foot-sore 
and famished pilgrim looks and longs for the 
gilded towers which indicate the place of ac- 
ceptable worship, so does the genuine Christian, 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



333 



amidst the labors, sorrows, and conflicts through 
•which he is called to pass, turn his eye heaven- 
ward toward the soul's native home in glory, 
and eagerly desire, while grateful for all the 
comforts of the way, to reach the end of his 
journey, to enter within the gates of the city, 
and to dwell in the transporting visions of God 
forever. And as these desires are cherished, 
and become vigorous and powerful, they inspire 
the whole soul with a kind of electric life, 
which sends it bounding onward in its celestial 
course. These heavenly ardors do not produce 
misanthropy, or incapacitate a man for business 
or society. They rather incline him to use 
every means of grace, to do every work of 
lowly beneficence, and to serve and suffer, that 
he may reign and rejoice in the kingdom of 
God. 

If you would meet with final success in your 
Christian career, you must resolve that you will 
succeed. A firm purpose will put bone and 
muscle into your manhood, and enable you to 
stand erect in the name of your Master. 
There are some men who seem to be a sort of 
molluscous animals, they have not an articula- 
tion in them; you can press them into any 



334 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



conceivable shape, they are mere pulp and jelly, 
without hardness or consistency, and are of no 
practical use in the Church or in the world. 
True Christian character has a sort of fixedness 
and indomitableness which render it impossible 
to be molded or subdued by earth or hell. If 
you are capable of being discouraged, your 
great enemy will find you abundant reasons for 
discouragement. No man need expect to suc- 
ceed who does not count all things loss for the 
excellency of Christ. He who can be bribed, 
or seduced, or terrified — who is not deaf to the 
siren song of pleasure, blind to the dazzling 
splendors of worldly distinctions, and ambitious 
honors, and indifferent to the threats, and un- 
moved by the terrors of the infernal powers, 
will be in some way shaken, undermined, and 
overthrown by the enemies of his soul. Who- 
ever refuses to give up all that he hath can not 
be Christ's disciple. His consecration must be 
complete. Father, mother, wife, children, houses, 
lands, every thing which he possesses, must be 
bound on the sacred altars of his Cod. He must 
be willing to do and suffer, cheerfully and heroic- 
ally, whatever may be required of him in the 
order of God's providence, that he may inherit 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



335 



the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. 
There is an ancient medal, says a brilliant es- 
sayist, which has been adopted as the seal of 
a modern missionary society, that has for its 
device a bullock standing between a plow and 
an altar, with this inscription, "Ready for 
either"- — ready either to drag and swelter in 
the furrough, or to bleed on the altar of sacri- 
fice. This is the position of the resolute and 
devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Intent on 
the realization of his grand purpose — the glory 
of God, and the salvation of his soul — he goes 
where duty bids, and suffers what the cause 
may require, without reluctance, without repin- 
ing, and without any regard to worldly inter- 
ests or personal consequences. 

If you would prevail over your spiritual foes, 
continue steadfast in the faith, and achieve an 
honorable and glorious immortality, your eye 
must be single, and your heart so possessed 
and absorbed with the great idea of salvation, 
that you will be able to say, with the apostle, 
"This one thing I do, forgetting those things 
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those 
things which are before, I press toward the 
mark for the prize of the high calling of God 



336 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



in Christ Jesus." This singleness of purpose 
is an element of tremendous power. It made 
Demosthenes the prince of orators, and Napo- 
leon the greatest of captains ; it secured to Mo- 
zart his proudest triumphs in the realms of 
song, and gave to the adventurous enterprise of 
Columbus a new world ; it rendered Martin Lu- 
ther a memorable reformer, and John Wesley 
the most illustrious of modern evangelists ; it 
secured to Howard his enviable distinction as a 
noble philanthropist, and it has placed on the 
brow of Florence Nightingale a blooming chap- 
let which angels might have woven in the ely- 
sian fields of heaven. It was the prominent 
characteristic of Paul, Calvin, Whitefield, As- 
bury, Jonathan Edwards, and multitudes of 
others who have been renowned in the Church 
of God. Every one, indeed, of the disciples of 
Jesus Christ, who has successfully finished his 
course, and triumphantly entered into his re- 
ward, has been more or less distinguished by 
this important element of character. 

Another condition of final success, which we 
mention, is a clear discernment of the real na- 
ture of transgression. Sin has many disguises. 
It is deceitful in its very nature. It darkens 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



337 



our understandings, obscures our spiritual vision, 
and blunts and stupefies every perceptive fac- 
ulty of the soul. Nevertheless, you need not 
be deceived. You will find its true character 
faithfully portrayed in the inspired pages. Its 
guilt, and corruption, and shame — the dishonor 
which it casts on God and man, the degrada- 
tion and misery which follow in its train, the 
relation, as of cause to effect, which it sustains 
to death and hell — all are clearly described in 
the oracles of God. These awful, burning 
truths, full of admonition and instruction, are 
also written in every chapter of man's career 
on earth. The desolating wars, the gigantic 
crimes, the cruel systems of oppression, the 
base superstitions, the overwhelming darkness 
and bestial depravities of paganism, which make 
up, in the stupendous aggregate, so large a por- 
tion of the world's history, are all the hateful 
children of a more hateful but prolific parent — ■ 
the confessed and legitimate progeny of sin. 

Poverty, social disorders, heart-rending be- 
reavements, and untimely deaths may be all 
traced to the same fruitful source of wide- 
spread desolation and ruin. See its true char- 
acter in the effect it produces on the human 
22 



338 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



soul. It blurs and mars God's image, it cheap- 
ens and corrupts our whole nature, and it de- 
ranges and degrades every power and capacity 
of our being. Impure thoughts, unholy relishes, 
libidinous imaginings, and unsanctified desires 
and passions are born of its infernal incubations. 
Such is sin. God hates it ; angels look upon it. 
with abhorrence, and devils damned know it to 
be " a serpent armed with mortal sting." At 
all times, in all places, under all circumstances, 
transgression is a mistake, a dishonor, and a 
curse. You must learn to look thus upon it, in 
however fair a guise, or with whatever specious 
promises it may approach you. You must 
loathe it with unutterable loathing, you must 
hate it with intensest hatred, you must fly from 
it as from the face of a serpent, as from the 
mouth of perdition. You can give it no place, 
grant it no indulgence, regard it with no com- 
plaisance, but at the peril of your soul. You 
must choose privations, losses, reproaches, alien- 
ation of friends, the confiscation of goods, im- 
prisonment, and martyrdom, rather than the 
commission of sin. A renowned captain and 
conqueror had inscribed on his sword the words, 
" Death before dishonor." The Christian sol- 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



339 



dier should write on every part of his heavenly 
armor, " Death before transgression/ 5 No man 
is safe, or is likely to enjoy the glorious fruits 
of final perseverance, who counts his own life 
clear unto himself. Every Christian must have 
the spirit of a martyr. He must be ready to 
sacrifice any thing and every thing rather than 
the favor of God, You should cultivate this 
heroic affection. You would better surrender 
your life than your religion. You would better 
-give up earth than heaven. Such a conviction, 
deeply wrought in your soul, will settle and es- 
tablish you in the faith of the Gospel, and do 
much toward securing your final success in the 
work of your salvation. 

Strive to act always as in the presence of God. 
That the omniscient eye is ever upon you, that 
your most secret thoughts are known to him, 
that the character of every desire and purpose 
is clear as the light to the searching glance of 
the Infinite, are truths which you have never 
questioned for a moment. But a practical for- 
getfulness of those solemn realities may co- 
exist with the strongest convictions of their 
being and importance; and those things which 
are present and tangible, though temporary and 



340 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



evanescent, are calculated to produce this re- 
sult. It is, therefore, necessary to cultivate 
spirituality, to remind yourself often and earn- 
estly that God is a present God, and that you 
have a fearful account to render at his bar. 
You should be able to say, with the Psalmist, 
" I have set the Lord always before me ; be- 
cause he is at my right hand, I shall not be 
moved." Your whole life should be ordered 
and fashioned " as ever in your great Taskmas- 
ter's eye." You should seek constantly for the 
light and guidance of the Divine Presence. By 
day, in the high noon of worldly prosperity, the 
pillar of cloud will direct your steps ; by night, 
amid surrounding darkness and earth-born deso- 
lation, the pillar of fire will illumine your path. 
With such a realization of the solemn truth that 
God is at your right hand, that the pavilion of 
the Almighty is on every side of you, and that 
the presence of the Infinite pervades the most 
secret recesses of your being, how is it possible 
that you can disregard his just and holy laws ? 
Can you transgress in the very face of Jehovah ? 
Can you enter upon sinful courses in full view 
of the burning throne of judgment ? Can you 
cherish unholy thoughts or passions, despite 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



341 



the conscious gaze of the immaculate Son of 
God ? Will not sin appear too mean, too peril- 
ous, too awful to be for a moment indulged, 
when thus seen in the light of the burnished 
throne of the Eternal ? Will not sinful corrup- 
tions perish in the withering splendors of a Di- 
vine manifestation ? Will not your feet be kept 
from every forbidden path, if your eyes are 
opened to behold our Lord and Savior? Bo 
every tiling as in the immediate presence of God, 
and you may hope to be blameless and obedient 
unto the end. 

You may obtain great assistance in this Chris- 
tian warfare by the careful formation of religious 
habits. Such is our mental constitution, that 
we are inclined to do that which we have often 
and regularly done, for no other reason than 
that we have often and regularly done it. To 
whatever we are accustomed, therefore, we be- 
come habituated. Our natures are disposed to 
travel in the beaten track. The channels of 
thought, desire, and action are worn deeper and 
broader by the very process of existence. We 
tend constantly toward fixedness of character, 
and the longer a man pursues any course of 
conduct, the greater is the probability that he 



342 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



will pursue it while life lasts. There is great 
power, as all experience shows, in thoroughly- 
established habits, and this power the Christian 
should employ to help his soul on toward God 
and heaven. Religious habits, however, are 
not formed with that facility and readiness with 
which we enter upon sinful courses of conduct. 
It is easy, such are the proclivities of our fallen 
natures, to become habitual transgressors ; but to 
form habits of godliness requires deliberate pur- 
pose and persistent effort. You should resolve, 
therefore, to acquire religious habits — that is, 
you should be determined to perform your Chris- 
tian duties with such faithfulness and regularity 
that obedience will become habitual. You may 
be so accustomed to consult daily the Inspired 
Oracles, to call on God in prayer, to testify in 
the sanctuary and in all appropriate places to 
your -Savior's goodness and love, to engage in 
works of charity and Christian beneficence, to 
resist temptation and shun the very appearance 
of evil, to endeavor constantly to build up the 
kingdom of Jesus Christ by the reformation 
and conversion of sinners, and to glorify God 
in your body and soul, in time and talents, and 
in ail things, that it will be difficult to turn you 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



343 



from the highway of holiness, or to discourage 
your heart in the great work of salvation. 

There are multitudes in the Church who 
seem to have formed habits of a very different 
character. They have been accustomed, some- 
times at least, to yield to temptation, to neglect 
duty, to shun the cross of Christ, to be gov- 
erned by worldly sentiments and opinions, to 
restrain prayer and Christian testimony, to 
withhold their charities from the needy and 
perishing, to leave sinners unrebuked and un- 
warned, and, by their indifference, defection, 
and selfishness, to bring reproach and dishonor 
upon the cause of God. They are hesitating 
and unreliable in their Christian course. Their 
light flickers, bewilders, and too often fatally 
betrays. They are looked to as the epistles of 
Jesus Christ, but their testimony, by word and 
life, is ambiguous, contradictory, and ruinous. 
They have no satisfactory experience; they 
doubt the love of Christ ; their hope of heaven 
is an inconstant glimmer; their ability to be 
useful is well-nigh destroyed; their grasp on 
the Divine promises is feeble and easily re- 
laxed; trials press them to the earth, and leave 
them disconsolate and wretched; and the sun 



344 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



which gilded their morning is often clouded at 
noonday, and goes down not uncommonly in 
murky and impenetrable darkness. 

You must learn to regard such persons as 
beacons to warn, and not as examples to be 
imitated. Their course is instructive only as it 
is admonitory, and their lives are to be studied 
only as we study pathology or necrology, in 
order to learn how to shun disease and death, 
and how to secure health and longevity. Dead 
bodies may be valuable for the purposes of dis- 
section, and may teach important lessons in 
physiology and anatomy; but they are not to 
be taken as the guides and models of living 
men. Be intent, in the very beginning of your 
Christian life, on the formation of correct and 
salutary religious habits. If you start right, 
and continue right, you will end right. If you 
are resolved now to be a whole-hearted and per- 
severing follower of your Lord and Master, and 
will begin to act accordingly, discharging every 
duty, and improving every gracious opportunity, 
then your character will gradually settle into 
the mold of a perfect Christian, your heart 
will increasingly glow with the splendor of the 
"Divine image, and your whole life will flow out 



EINAL SUCCESS. 



345 



with greater readiness and power, in chosen and 
appointed channels of beneficence and love, till 
all your ways shall be established; and what 
grace has begun, glory shall crown in the king- 
dom of our God. 

Consider how much you have at stake in this 
Christian warfare. What a fearful thing it will 
be to deceive your own soul, to die without 
hope, to be condemned in the judgment, to be 
shut out of heaven, and thrust down to hell ! If 
you fall into sin, what loss and dishonor will you 
bring upon the Church, how many will be dis- 
couraged by your failure, how many will be in- 
fluenced by your example to turn away from 
God's testimonies, and how tremendous and ap- 
palling the account you will have to render, not 
only for yourself, but for others, when the Al- 
mighty shall make inquisition for the blood of 
lost souls ! If you are kept from those public 
and aggravated offenses which would disgrace 
your Christian profession, yet, if you have be- 
come sluggish and indifferent in your religious 
life, what reason have you to fear that nothing 
but the thunders of the last day will arouse you 
from this death-like torpor to those earnest ef- 
forts on which your salvation depends ! And 



846 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



how many will be chilled by your coldness till 
the frozen rigors of worldliness and apostasy 
congeal the very life-blood of their souls ! Be- 
cause the love of many waxeth cold, iniquity 
abounds. An example of lukewarmness is con- 
tagious and ruinous. It is reproduced in multi- 
plied forms and instances, and it gives occasion 
for many and grievous transgressions. How 
can we expect to live such a life of stupid un- 
concern, without an earnest spirituality, and 
destitute of the quickening power of the G ospel, 
and yet escape the fearful perils which surround 
us in a world of temptation and sin, enjoy the 
abounding consolations of a genuine Christian 
experience, and wear a conqueror's crown in the 
kingdom of our Lord and Savior ! Beware, lest 
you measure yourself by too low a standard, 
and so come short of the everlasting inheritance. 
Immortal interests are to be secured. The char- 
acter of your eternity is in process of determ- 
ination. Your destiny beyond the grave, and 
the destiny of those whom you cherish as your 
life, is being unalterably fixed. Shall you sink 
down to hell, dragging others with you into the 
fiery gulf? or shall you come to Mount Zion 
with songs and everlasting joy upon your head? 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



347 



What will be the final result ? Think of these 
things. They are just at hand. Your proba- 
tion will soon terminate ; every interest of earth 
Will soon have lost its charm ; you will be con- 
cerned only with the spiritual and the eternal. 
Press these considerations upon your heart, and 
stir yourself up to diligence in the Divine life. 
Tour salvation must be worked out, and you 
must be faithful unto death, if you would obtain 
the promised crown. The more you consider 
these things, the more likely you will be to per- 
severe, bearing the reproach of Christ, suffering 
according to the will of God, watching unto 
prayer, choosing affliction with the saints of the" 
Most High, rather than the perishable pleasures 
of sin, and holding the beginning of your confi- 
dence steadfast unto the end, that you may be 
made a partaker of Christ, that when he who is 
our life shall appear, you also may appear with 
him in glory. Consider how great a thing it is 
to be a Christian. What simplicity, purity, 
charity, and beneficence should characterize our 
experience ! To be cleansed from sinful corrup- 
tions, to keep ourselves unspotted from the 
world, to live the loving and heroic life of 
Jesus— this is Christianity. But to realize these 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



results, what self-denial is required, what patient 
discipline of doing and suffering, what clinging 
to the cross, what groaning in the spirit, what 
agonizing efforts to enter in at the strait gate, 
what protracted conflicts with the powers of 
darkness, and what life-long endurance of bur- 
dens, and trials, and responsibilities for the sake 
of Christ and his religion ! 

Consider w T hat a being God is. How infinite 
his love, how vast his wisdom, and goodness, and 
power, how unlimited his capacities to exalt, and 
bless, and satisfy our immortal natures forever ! 
On the other hand, how terrible is his wrath ! 
If his impropriated majesty blaze terrors upon 
our guilty souls, how can we withstand his 
vengeance, how endure his displeasure ! 

Consider what it is to go into eternity. Think 
of having your condition, your surroundings, 
your associations unchangeably and everlastingly 
fixed. How solemn, momentous, and over- 
whelming the thought! Look down into the 
fathomless depths of perdition. What a place is 
hell ! We find it described in the Scriptures as 
a lake of fire, quenchless and soul- consuming, 
a mist of darkness, a place of torment, where 
there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, wiiere 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



349 



the wicked are punished with everlasting de- 
struction, where " the wine of the wrath of God 
is poured out without mixture" upon those 
doomed souls, " who have no rest day nor 
night," but "the smoke of whose torment as- 
cendeth up forever and ever." It is the dwell- 
ing-place of all liars, and murderers, and sor- 
cerers, and oppressors, and idolaters — of adders, 
and serpents, and dragons— enemies of God, 
and outcasts from heaven. All foul, loathsome, 
and abominable things in God's universe are 
here congregated. And to you, if faithless and 
disobedient, as to all who shall stand on the 
left hand, will the Judge say, in that tremen- 
dous hour, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
angels." Think of being sent away into " ever- 
lasting punishment," after having lived in the 
Christian Church, bowed at God's altar, heard 
the joyful news of salvation, "tasted of the 
heavenly gift," been made a "partaker of the 
Holy Ghost," and rejoiced in expectation of an 
eternal inheritance at the right hand of God ! 
A backslider, an apostate, in the realms of de- 
spair, must be the very scoff and jeer of perdi- 
tion, the underfoot and downtrodden of devils 



350 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



damned forever. Shall this be your future des- 
tiny, young convert? 

You shudder at such a prospect, and turn 
your longing eyes heavenward. Consider, then, 
the attractions of that celestial world. It is a 
place of rest, of security, and of immortal bless- 
edness. There are the mansions which Jesus 
has gone to prepare for those that love him. 
Sin and sorrow, sickness and death, do not enter 
those delightful abodes. There glorified saints 
mingle with the sons of the morning, the bright- 
est and purest of heavenly intelligences, in cele- 
brating the praises of the Almighty Father. 
There the Savior lives and reigns, and there the 
presence of God surrounds his people, like an 
atmosphere of love, irradiating all those*""realms 
of joy with the splendors of his divinity. 
Heaven is described in the Scriptures as a city, 
a city which hath foundations, which is firmly 
and immovably established — a city prepared by 
God for his servants, and of which he is the 
builder and ruler — a city whose walls are great 
and high, and garnished w T ith all manner of 
precious stones ; whose gates are pearls, and 
whose streets are "pure gold, as it w^ere trans- 
parent glass" — a city into wdiich the kings of 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



351 



the earth " do bring their glory and honor," but 
into which there shall in no wise enter " any 
thine that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh 
abomination or maketh a lie" — a city on which 
the shadows of night never fall, which " has no 
need of the sun, neither of the moon/" but 
which rejoices in the undimmed light of the 
eternal throne, in the out-beaming glory of God 
and the Lamb. 

Heaven is also termed, in the word of Inspi- 
ration, a country, a better country — one which 
surpasses in beauty and richness the earth we 
inhabit — a country in which we may secure an 
unfading, undefiied, and eternal inheritance — a 
country whose streams are crystal, whose fruits 
are for the healing of the nations, and whose 
loveliness and fertility render it a paradise, a 
garden of pleasure and delight. 

It is true, that these are not exact logical 
statements made to the understanding, and it is 
well that they are not ; for who ca,n tell what it 
is to have treasures at the right hand of God, to 
be made a ruler among the powers and hie- 
rarchies of glory, and to sit down with Christ 
on that throne of dominion which far round il- 
lumines heaven? They are scenic views, ad- 



852 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



dressed to the imagination, and are calculated 
to excite that creative faculty of our minds, out 
of these golden threads — to weave, in its own 
magical loom, the warp and woof of a beautiful 
and glorious immortality. 

And as the gorgeous vision rises before you, 
and your soul is entranced by the contemplation 
of that better land, where tears are never shed, 
where friends are never separated, where graves 
are never digged, where temptations and trials 
are never experienced, where losses and re- 
proaches are never known, where all is secu- 
rity, happiness, and glory, and where saints and 
angels lift from their radiant brows their incor- 
ruptible crowns, to cast them before the throne 
of the Divine Majesty, are you not ready to ex- 
claim, while your heart swells with a heroic pur- 
pose to live and die in the service of your 
Master, 

" 0, what are all my sufferings here, 
If, Lord, thou count me meet, 
With that enraptured host to appear, 
And worship at thy feet?" 

We urge you, finally, to cherish the influences 
of God's Holy Spirit. Seek to have his entire 
office-work accomplished in your experience. 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



353 



That Spirit will convince you of sin, will cause 
you to realize your need of salvation, will show 
you the things of Christ, will witness your ac- 
ceptance before God, will regenerate and sanc- 
tify your soul, will guide you into all truth, will 
enthrone Jesus in your heart, the hope of glory, 
will assist you in your devotions, will make 
plain every other oracle of God, will reveal to 
you the mysteries of Providence, will endue 
you with heavenly vigor, will satisfy your thirsty 
soul with rivers of living water, will teach you 
all things, and bring all things to your remem- 
brance; will baptize you with power to testify 
for Jesus Christ, will set upon your heart the 
seal of the Divine image unto the day of re- 
demption, will fill you with all joy and hope in 
believing, and will abide with you as a com- 
forter forever. If you have not this spirit of 
Christ, enabling you to mortify the deeds of the 
flesh, affirming your adoption into the heavenly 
household, creating within you spiritual relishes, 
and giving you the victory over the law of sin 
and death, then you are none of his ; for " the 
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we 
are the children of God ;" or, as it is expressed in 

another place, " Because ye are sons, God hath 

23 



354 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father." 

It is this testimony which makes us strong in 
the Lord, and bold to discharge the duties of 
Christianity. We can even glory in tribula- 
tions, when we know that they produce patience, 
experience, and hope ; and that u hope maketh 
not ashamed, because the love of God is shed 
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which 
is given unto us." Be careful, then, not to 
grieve the Spirit of God ; but stir up the gift 
which you have received, and never rest satis- 
fied for an hour without the clear, positive, and 
unmistakable testimony of God's Holy Spirit, 
that you are owned, accepted, and loved, 
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
You will not grow tired of the path of duty, 
lose your relish for spiritual things, or surren- 
der your hope of heaven, while the Spirit per- 
forms this blessed work of healing and trans- 
formation upon your soul. But if you are con- 
tent to live without this Divine evidence that 
you are saved, without that Spirit which is the 
earnest of our inheritance, till the redemption 
of the purchased possession, to the praise and 
glory of our living Head— then you will soon 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



355 



become as the branch that is separated from 
the vine, withered, fruitless, and ready to be 
burned. The great gift of the Gospel dispen- 
sation, its baptism of power, its crowning glory, 
that which more than compensates us for the 
personal absence of our Lord and Savior, the 
mighty agency which destroys sin and despoils 
hell, and establishes in the human soul the 
kingdom of the Son of God on the very ruins of 
Satan's dominion, is the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
This is emphatically the promise of the Father, 
which Jesus died to secure, and without which 
an alienated world could never have been brought 
back to its primal allegiance. And we are as- 
sured that our Heavenly Father is more willing 
to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him, 
than are earthly parents to give good gifts to 
their childrenc By this touching and beautiful 
illustration he expresses his readiness and his 
desire to send upon our hearts this anointing 
of purity and power. If we ask, we shall re- 
ceive. How earnestly, then, ought we to ask! 
with what faith, perseverance, and indomitable 
zeal ! 

Let it also be borne in mind, that the pres- 
ence and work of the Holy Ghost is indicated^ 



856 



COUNSELS TO CONVERTS. 



not only by impressions and emotions which 
might possibly be produced by that lying spirit 
who can transform himself into an angel of 
light, but by the communication of those graces 
and the establishment of those principles of 
holiness which demonstrate their heavenly ori- 
gin by their practical results. 

" The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- 
ness, temperance ; against such there is no law." 
But let no man presume that he has been 
made a partaker of the Divine nature, whatever 
visions, or ecstasies, or experiences he may 
possess, except he have these evidences in his 
heart and life. If the kingdom of God be truly 
established within him by the power of the 
Holy Ghost, he will crucify the flesh, with the 
affections and lusts ; the works of the flesh he 
will refuse to do ; he will walk in the Spirit, 
and a life of temperance, meekness, goodness, 
and forbearance will be the complement of that 
genuine experience of faith, and love, and joy, 
which kindle in the soul the raptures of heaven. 
And as you hope to keep yourselves in the 
love of God, to build yourselves up upomyour 
most holy faith, and to obtain the mercy of our 



FINAL SUCCESS. 



357 



Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, seek, se- 
cure, and maintain, with all diligence and perse- 
verance, the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, 
"strong, permanent, and clear," that you are 
every moment reconciled to God, through the 
blood of the everlasting covenant. 

" Now unto Him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the 
presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to 
the only wise God our Savior, be glory and 
majesty, dominion and power, both now and 
ever. Amen." 



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